Simple and plain; lacking decoration, artifice, or complexity; straightforward and honest.
From Old English 'aefeld' or 'enfald' (simple, single), from 'ān' (one) plus 'fold' (fold, layer). This word comes from the same Germanic root as modern 'unfold,' but the 'ae-' prefix is Old English rather than the 'un-' we use now.
The 'ae-' spelling is a fossil from Old English that shows up in manuscripts—when modern English standardized to 'un-', words like 'aefauld' became curiosities, preserved mainly in archaic texts and historical documents.
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