What is Layman's term?

Question

and who is Layman? can i get a quick summary of when this expression came to be?

Answer 1

1. "a person who is a non-expert in a given field of knowledge".
2. A man who is a nonprofessional
3. amateur person
4. non-expert
5. layperson

"A layperson is any person who is not ordained member of the clergy, or who is not under religious vows such as those of a monk or a nun. By extension, the term also means one who is not a professional or expert. This in contrast with professionals such as technicians, scientists, engineers, mathematicians, or members of any other profession or craft where large amounts of education or practice are necessary to perform a task well. The concepts of experts and expertise is debated within the field of epistemology under the general heading of expert knowledge."

Answer 2

The term layman originated from the use of the term laity, but over the centuries, changed definition to mean "a person who is a non-expert in a given field of knowledge".

The concept of describing something in layman's terms has come into wide use in the English speaking world. To put something in layman's terms is to describe a complex or technical issue using words and terms that the average individual (someone without professional training in the subject area) can understand, so that they may comprehend the issue to some degree. From Wikipedia
Another source below:
LAY - "adj. of ordinary people; not of the clergy or a profession. About 1303 'lai' secular; later 'lay' unlearned, uneducated (before 1338); . 'layman' n. (probably about 1415)." From the "Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology" by Robert K. Barnhart (HarperCollins Publishers, New York, 1995). Page 424.

Answer 3

The term layman originated from the use of the term laity, but over the centuries, changed definition to mean "a person who is a non-expert in a given field of knowledge".

The concept of describing something in layman's terms has come into wide use in the English speaking world. To put something in layman's terms is to describe a complex or technical issue using words and terms that the average individual (someone without professional training in the subject area) can understand, so that they may comprehend the issue to some degree.

Answer 4

Layman isn't a person, it's a word used to describe working class. So, an example of it would be a doctor calls it a cardiac arrest, in laymans terms it's a heart attack.

Dumbing it down, for want of a better expression.

Answer 5

Define Layman

Answer 6

According to the American heritage dictionary, on meaning of lay is "Of or typical of the average common man" it comes from the Middle English laie - which is from the old French, lai, which is from late Latin laicus which is from the Greek, laikos from laos meaning the people.

So maybe layman has an independent existance beyond and before holy orders?


Re: Layman's terms ESC 09/06/02 (1)
Re: Layman's terms TheFallen 09/06/02 (0)

Answer 7

A layperson is a non ordained member of church. This is why we now refer to it in layman's terms. Only the clergy used to do reading and writing so to keep it easy to understand is to put it in layman's terms

Answer 8

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RE:
What is Layman's term?
and who is Layman? can i get a quick summary of when this expression came to be?

Answer 9

A "layman" is your average working guy ... not a college-educated professional (i.e doctor, lawyer). When a person uses "layman's terms" he's simply speaking in simpler terms, without jargon or extensive vocabulary.

Answer 10

layman is another term for ordinary or common people. to put something in layman's terms means to state it simply so that anyone could understand it.

Answer 11

The complete opposite of a detailed term. For example:

What is human?

in LAYMAN's TERMS: it's a person, or a man/woman

in DETAILED: A bipedal mammal