Where does “dapperling” come from?
dapperling (English) comes from English dapper, from Middle English daper, from Middle Dutch dapper, from Old Dutch dappar, from Proto-Germanic dapraz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeb- — thick, fat, heavy; fat, heavy, thick.
dapperling (English): A dwarf; a dandiprat; a dapper little fellow
Definitions
- A dwarf; a dandiprat; a dapper little fellow
Ancestry of “dapperling”, step by step
dapperling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dapper
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dapper | Neat, trim; Stylishly dressed, neatly dressed,... |
| 2 | Middle English | daper | pretty, neat |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | dapper | stalwart, nimble |
| 4 | Old Dutch | dappar | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dapraz | stout; solid; heavy; bold |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeb- | thick, fat, heavy; fat, heavy, thick |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |