Where does “Deaf” come from?
Deaf descends from Middle English deef, Old English dēaf, Proto-Germanic daubaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots dʰūbʰ- and dʰewh₂-, though the precise semantic development remains unclear.
Deaf (English): Of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf...
Definitions
- Of or relating to the culture surrounding deaf...
Ancestry of “Deaf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | def | — |
| 2 | Old English | dēaf | deaf |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | daub | stunned; deaf |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | daubaz | stunned; deaf |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |