analphabet

Meaning

Noun

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

Adj

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

Synonyms

analphabetic

illiterate

nonreader

unlettered

Translations

analfabeto

analphabète

Analphabet

analfabeto

αναλφάβητος

analfabeta

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ænˈælfəbɛt/

Etymology

Cognate with French: analphabète

Cognate with German: Analphabetus

Cognate with Italian: analfabeta

Cognate with Portuguese: analfabeto

Cognate with Spanish: analfabeto

In summary

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