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Dunce
From the name of John Duns Scotus, a medieval scholar. His followers, called “Duns men” or dunces, were known for hairsplitting philosophy. During the Renaissance, humanists ridiculed the outdated ideas of the “Duns men,” and dunce became a term for someone dull or stupid. Thus a once-respected theologian’s name turned into a synonym for a slow learner (as in the “dunce cap” given to misbehaving students).
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