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

  1. A slothful or stupid person; Boring,...

Ancestry of “doldrum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdold—
2Middle Englishdullento make dull
3Middle Englishduldull
4Old Englishdolfoolish
5Proto-West Germanic*dol—
6Proto-Germanicdulazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
7Proto-Germanicdwalazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰwel-—

Words derived from “doldrum”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic dwalaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic dulaz →
doldrum — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer