Simples

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used to describe straightforward or uncomplicated elements or components
2. referring to basic forms or units that lack complexity or sophistication
3. indicating something that is easily understood or grasped without further elaboration

Etymology: "Simples" is a noun in the sense the prompt gives, but its history is that of an interjection. It began as the word "simple" used as an exclamation, and the final "-s" is a hypocoristic suffix, a sound added to a short word to make it sound friendly and informal, as in "mum" becoming "mummy" or "Tom" becoming "Tommy". Behind the word lies the Latin "simplus", meaning "simple" or "single", which passed through Old French "simple" into Middle English as "symple" before becoming modern English "simple". The form is best known from a 2009 advertising campaign for the British price comparison website Compare the Market. Its meerkat character used the phrase as a catchphrase, and it spread well beyond the advertisements. The campaign turned a plain adjective into a playful interjection, and the "-s" ending gave it the cheerful, childlike tone that made it memorable.