goober

The word 'goober' entered American English in the early 19th century, borrowed from the Gullah word 'guba' meaning "peanut." Gullah, in turn, acquired it from a West African language, likely Kimbundu (Angola), where 'nguba' denotes the peanut. The peanut itself is native to South America but was introduced to Africa by Portuguese traders, from where it traveled to North America via the transatlantic slave trade. The informal, derogatory sense of "a foolish person" developed in the 20th century, likely influenced by the peanut's humble, common status and its association with rural life.

The word is a simplex loanword from a West African language, entering English via the Gullah language of the southeastern United States. It does not contain separable morphemes within the English spelling system.