Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “daydream” come from?

Daydream combines English day with dream, where day derives from Middle English day, Old English dæġ, Proto-West Germanic dag, and Proto-Germanic draumaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰ- meaning to burn or shine.

daydream (English): A spontaneous and fanciful series of thoughts...

Definitions

  1. A spontaneous and fanciful series of thoughts...

Ancestry of “daydream”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdreamImaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping;...
2Middle Englishdremmusic; voice, conversing; joy, mirthfulness
3Old Frisiandrēma—
4Proto-West Germanic*draumijan—
5Proto-Germanicdraumijanąto dream
6Proto-Germanicdraumazdream
7Proto-Germanicdraugmaz—
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰrowgʰ-mos—
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰrewgʰ-to deceive, to mislead; to serve one's tribe;...
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold

Words derived from “daydream”

  • daydreaming
  • daydreamer
  • daydreamy
  • daydreamlike
  • daydreamingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- →