Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “addle” come from?

addle (English) comes from Middle English addlen, from Old Norse ǫðlask, from Proto-Germanic *ōþalōną.

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishaddlen—
2Old NorseǫðlaskTo gain possession of property
3Proto-Germanic*ōþalōną—

Words derived from “addle”

  • addling
  • attle
  • addlepated
  • addleheaded
  • addlement
  • addlehead
  • addlepatedness
  • addleness
  • addlings
Every word from Proto-Germanic *ōþalōną →