Charlatan

A charlatan, also called a swindler or mountebank, is someone who pretends to be a doctor to get money, power or fame.

Etymology

The English word comes from French , a seller of medicines who might advertise his presence with music and an outdoor stage show. The best known of the charlatans in Paris was Tabarin, who inspired the 17th-century playwright Molière. The word is also similar to the Spanish word , which describes someone who loves talking. 

Etymologists trace charlatan ultimately from Italian. It may have come from two different words, or a mixture of the two. One possible origin word is , which means 'to chatter or prattle'. Another is the word cerretano, meaning a resident of the village Cerreto di Spoleto in Umbria, which was known for tricking others in the 16th century.Charlatan. Dictionary.com

Related pages

 Scam
 Snake oil
 Disinformation

References

Category:Deception
Category:Pseudoscience