haplo-comb. form

Etymology: < Hellenistic Greek ἁπλο-, combining form (in e.g. ἁπλοτομία : see haplotomy n. at sense 1) of ancient Greek ἁπλοῦς (uncontracted ἁπλόος ) single, simple < an ablaut variant of the Indo-European base of same adj. + a second element also seen in διπλοῦς (uncontracted διπλόος ) double (see diplo- comb. form). Compare scientific Latin haplo- (also aplo-), French haplo- (also aplo-) (formations in which are found from at least the end of the 18th cent.), German haplo- (formations in which are found from at least the 1st half of the 19th cent.).It has been suggested that ancient Greek ἁπλοῦς is derived < an Indo-European compound form which also gave rise to classical Latin simplus simple adj., but this is problematic (the form ἁπλός is attested later). If the form ἁπλός were in fact original, it may have been altered to ἁπλοῦς under the influence of ancient Greek πλοῦς (uncontracted πλόος ) ‘voyage’. Attested from the mid 19th cent. in borrowings and adaptations from post-classical and scientific Latin (compare e.g. haplotomy n., haplocardiac adj. at sense 1) and French (compare aplome n.). Borrowings and adaptations from German are also found (compare e.g. haplotypic adj., haplont n., etc.). Formations within English are found from the 2nd half of the 19th cent., earliest in haplodont adj., and chiefly in combination with elements ultimately of Greek origin. In some words formed from ancient Greek ἁπλοῦς , the Greek aspiration has been lost, resulting in a form beginning with aplo- (or apl- ); compare e.g. aplite n., aplome n. Compare similarly the post-classical Latin and French variants without initial h-.