Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dauntless” come from?

Dauntless comes from Middle English -les and Old English -lēas, meaning "without," combined with a root from Latin domito and domo, derived from Latin domus meaning "house," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dṓm.

dauntless (English): Invulnerable to fear or intimidation

Definitions

  1. Invulnerable to fear or intimidation

Ancestry of “dauntless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdauntTo discourage, intimidate; To overwhelm
2Middle EnglishdauntenTo attain victory and control over; to subjugate;...
3Old Frenchdanter—
4Latindomitō—
5Latindomō—
6Proto-Italicdomaōtame; subdue
7Idodomajodamage, injury, harm, accident
8Idodomajarto damage; to injure, harm, impair, spoil
9EnglishdamageInjury or harm; the condition or measure of...
10Middle Englishdamage—
11Old Frenchdamagedamage; injury, hurt, insult
12Old Occitandamnatgedamage; harm, etc
13Vulgar Latindamnaticumdamage
14Latindamnumdamage or injury; loss; a fine
15Proto-Italicdapnom—
16Proto-Indo-Europeandh₂pnómexpense, investment

Words derived from “dauntless”

  • dauntlessly
  • dauntlessness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dh₂pnóm →