Where does “dally” come from?

Dally comes from Middle English dalyen, from Spanish la, from Old Spanish ela, from Latin dis- and ex, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- and lip-, with roots in Proto-Indo-European al-.

dally (English): To waste time in trivial activities, or in...

Definitions

  1. To waste time in trivial activities, or in...

Ancestry of “dally”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishdalienTo talk, converse, or say (something)
2Anglo-Normandelaierto hesitate; to wait
3Frankishlatjanto hinder, delay
4Proto-Germaniclatjanąto make slow, delay, hinder
5Proto-Germaniclatazslow, sluggish; lazy; late
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlē(y)d-—

Words derived from “dally”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European lē(y)d- →Every word from Proto-Germanic lataz →Every word from Proto-Germanic latjaną →