Friday, April 1, 2022

From the Greek adjective μωρός (mōrós), meaning "slow, dull, foolish, stupid, silly," a moron is an informal or slang way of referring to an otherwise stupid or foolish person. Interestingly, the self-contradictory word oxymoron is itself made up of contradictory Greek words. The Greek word ὀξύς (oxús) means "sharp, keen, pointed," and when combined with μωρός (mōrós) gives us "a keen but foolish statement" with ostensibly opposing meanings.