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
- A stupid person; a blockhead or dullard; To...
Ancestry of “dolt”, step by step
dolt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dold
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dold | stupid, confused |
| 2 | Middle English | dold | — |
| 3 | Middle English | dullen | to make dull |
| 4 | Middle English | dul | dull |
| 5 | Old English | dol | foolish |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *dol | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | dulaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | dwalaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwel- | — |
via Middle English dull
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dull | — |