Where does “addle” come from?

addle (English) comes from Middle English addlen, from Old Norse ǫðlask, from Proto-Germanic *ōþalōną — to inherit, to acquire by inheriting.

addle (English): To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's...

Definitions

  1. To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's...

Ancestry of “addle”, step by step

addle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English addlen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaddlen—
2Old NorseǫðlaskTo gain possession of property
3Proto-Germanic*ōþalōnąto inherit, to acquire by inheriting

via Proto-Balto-Slavic *edlis

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Balto-Slavic*edlis—

Words derived from “addle”

Every word from Proto-Germanic *ōþalōną →Every word from Old Norse ǫðlask →Every word from Middle English addlen →