Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “daredevil” come from?

Dare originates from Old English darian, from Old English durran, from Proto-Germanic durzaną, from Ancient Greek διάβολος, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer-.

daredevil (English): A person who engages in very risky behavior,...

Definitions

  1. A person who engages in very risky behavior,...

Ancestry of “daredevil”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDevil—
2Middle EnglishdevelSatan, Lucifer; A devil; an evil creature that...
3Old Englishdēofoldemon
4Proto-West Germanicdiubuldevil
5Latindiabolusdevil
6Ancient Greekδιάβολοςslanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil
7Ancient Greekδιαβάλλωthrow over or across; set at variance, make a...
8Ancient Greekδῐᾰ-apart; through, across; through; in different...
9Ancient Greekδιάthroughout
10Proto-Indo-Europeandwístwice, doubly; in two
11Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two

Words derived from “daredevil”

  • daredevilry
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ →