Where does “daff” come from?

daff (English) comes from Middle English daffen, from Middle English daf, from Old Norse daufr, from Proto-Germanic daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

daff (English): A fool; an idiot; a blockhead; To be foolish;...

Definitions

  1. A fool; an idiot; a blockhead; To be foolish;...

Ancestry of “daff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdaffento render foolish
2Middle Englishdaf—
3Old Norsedaufrdeaf
4Proto-Germanicdaubazstunned; deaf
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “daff”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →