Where does “damnfool” come from?
damnfool (English) comes from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum, from Proto-Italic dapnom, from Proto-Indo-European dh₂pnóm, from Proto-Indo-European deh₂p- — to share, divide.
damnfool (English): Contemptibly foolish
Definitions
- Contemptibly foolish
Ancestry of “damnfool”, step by step
damnfool traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English damn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | damn | To condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare... |
| 2 | Middle English | dampnen | to damn |
| 3 | Old French | dampner | to damn |
| 4 | Latin | damnō | to discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject |
| 5 | Latin | damnum | damage or injury; loss; a fine |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | dapnom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dh₂pnóm | expense, investment |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |
via English fool
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fool | A person with poor judgment or little... |
| 2 | French | fouler | to stamp, impress, dent; to mill; to walk on,... |
| 3 | Middle French | fouller | to mistreat |
| 4 | Old French | foler | to destroy; to mistreat |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 6 | Latin | fullo | fuller |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |