Where does “doldrum” come from?
doldrum (English) comes from Middle English dold, from Middle English dullen, from Middle English dul, from Old English dol, from Proto-West Germanic *dol, from Proto-Germanic dulaz, from Proto-Germanic dwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel-.
doldrum (English): A slothful or stupid person; Boring,...
Definitions
- A slothful or stupid person; Boring,...
Ancestry of “doldrum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dold | — |
| 2 | Middle English | dullen | to make dull |
| 3 | Middle English | dul | — |
| 4 | Old English | dol | foolish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *dol | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | dulaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | dwalaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwel- | — |
Words derived from “doldrum”