Etymology Category: People & Names

Where Does “Dunce” Come From? The Philosopher Whose Followers Became Fools

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“Dunce” comes from the name of John Duns Scotus (c. 1265–1308), one of the most brilliant philosophers of the Middle Ages. Renaissance humanists mocked his followers — the “Dunses” or “Dunsmen” — as obstinate pedants clinging to an outdated system. The name of a philosopher celebrated for intellectual subtlety became, through this reversal of reputation, a word for a stupid person.

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