where does the term layman come from
Report Abuse. The term is layman. 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.
The word laity means common people and comes from the Greek Î»Î±ÏÎºÏÏ (laikos), meaning of the people. Synonyms for layperson include: parishioner, believer, dilettante, follower, member, neophyte, novice, outsider, proselyte, recruit, secular, laic, layman, nonprofessional.