Etymograph

English

semplice

Semplice comes from Italian semplice ‘simple’, and goes back to Latin simplicem.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsimplicem1
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentsemplice2‘simple’
  3. Englishtodaysemplice2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Italian semplice
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English semplice

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsimplicemWiktionary, Italian semplice
  2. Italianc. 1300–presentsempliceWiktionary, English semplice‘simple’
  3. EnglishtodaysempliceWiktionary, English semplice

Every English word from Latin simplicem

Today it means

adv (To be played) simply, without embellishments.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “semplice”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Italian semplice. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Latin simplicem / semplice

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