SILLY  , weakly foolish, stupid . This is the current sense of a word which has much changed its meaning . The O.E. sxlig (usually gescelig) meant prosperous, happy, and was formed from srel, See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, See also:

• SEASON (0. Fr. seson, seison, mod. saison, Lat. satio, sowing time, the spring, from serere, to sow; in Late Lat. the word is found with its present meaning, the spring being considered as particularly the season of the year)

season, hence happiness, cf . Icel. stela, See also:

• BLISS, CORNELIUS NEWTON (1833– )

bliss; Ger. selig, blessed, happy, &c., probably also allied to See also:

• LAT

Lat. salvus, whole, safe . The development of meaning is happy, blessed, See also:

• INNOCENT (INNOCENTIUS)
• INNOCENT (POPES)

innocent or See also:

• SIMPLE

simple, thence helpless, weak, and so foolish . The old provincial and Scottish word for a See also:

• CAUL (from O. Eng. calle, Fr. tale, a cap)

caul (q.v.) was " silly-how," i.e . " lucky cap." The development of meaning of " simple," literally " onefold " (Lat. simplex), See also:

• PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain, artless, hence unlearned, foolish, is somewhat parallel . A See also:

• SPECIAL

special meaning of " simple," in the sense of medicinal herbs, is due to the supposition that each See also:

• HERB (Lat. herba, grass, food for cattle, generally taken to represent the Old Lat. forbea, Gr. 4op(3i1, pasture, <0p/3Ew, to feed, Sans. bharb, to eat)

herb had its own particular or simple medicinal value .