Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dizzy” come from?

Dizzy comes from Middle English disy, from Old English dysiġ, from Proto-Germanic dusigaz, with the original sense unclear.

dizzy (English): Having a sensation of whirling, with a tendency...

Definitions

  1. Having a sensation of whirling, with a tendency...

Ancestry of “dizzy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdysy—
2Old Englishdysiġfoolish, stupid; foolish, stupid, dizzy
3Proto-Germanic*dusīg—

Words derived from “dizzy”

  • dizzily
  • dizzard
  • dizzardly
Every word from Proto-Germanic *dusīg →