'hermit' originates from Late Latin, specifically the word 'eremita', from Greek 'eremites' meaning 'of the desert' (from 'eremos' meaning 'desert').

'hermit' changed from Late Latin 'eremita' to Old French 'hermite' and Middle English 'hermite/hermit', eventually becoming the modern English 'hermit'.

Initially, it meant 'person of the desert' (a religious recluse in the desert), but over time it evolved into the broader meaning 'a person who lives in seclusion, especially for religious reasons' and now also generically 'someone who lives alone'.