analphabet

Meanings

Noun

• A person who does not know the letters of the alphabet; a partly or wholly illiterate person.

Adjective

• Ignorant of the letters of the alphabet; partly or wholly illiterate.

Origin

• From Late Latin analphabetus ("unable to read and write; illiterate"), from Ancient Greek ἀναλφάβητος ("illiterate"), from ἀν- + ἀλφάβητος; analysable as an- + alphabet. The English word was probably influenced by cognate words in other languages such as French analphabète, German Analphabetus, Analphabet, analphabeten, Italian analfabeta, analfabeto, Portuguese analfabeto, Spanish analfabeto.
• The adjective was derived from the noun.