Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dolt” come from?

Dolt comes from Middle English dolt, itself from Middle English dollen, ultimately deriving from Proto-Germanic dulaz and Proto-Germanic dwalaz, both related to Old English dol.

dolt (English): A stupid person; a blockhead or dullard; To...

Definitions

  1. A stupid person; a blockhead or dullard; To...

Ancestry of “dolt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdoldstupid, confused
2Middle Englishdold—
3Middle Englishdullento make dull
4Middle Englishdul—
5Old Englishdolfoolish
6Proto-West Germanic*dol—
7Proto-Germanicdulazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
8Proto-Germanicdwalazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰwel-—

Words derived from “dolt”

  • doltish
  • doltishness
  • doltishly
  • dolthood
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel- →