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
- A spontaneous and fanciful series of thoughts...
Ancestry of “daydream”, step by step
daydream traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dream
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dream | Imaginary events seen in the mind while sleeping;... |
| 2 | Middle English | drem | music; voice, conversing; joy, mirthfulness |
| 3 | Old Frisian | drēma | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *draumijan | to dream |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | draumijaną | to dream |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | draumaz | dream |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | draugmaz | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrowgʰ-mos | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰrewgʰ- | to deceive, to mislead; to serve one's tribe;... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |