Where does “doubt” come from?

Doubt comes from Middle English douten, from Old French douter, from Latin dubitare meaning to waver between two opinions, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ meaning two.

doubt (English): To be undecided about; to lack confidence in; to...

Definitions

  1. To be undecided about; to lack confidence in; to...

Ancestry of “doubt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdoutento be in doubt, feel unsure; to be afraid or...
2Old FrenchdouterAlternative form of doter
3Latindubitōto waver (in opinion), be uncertain, doubt, question, be in doubt
4Latindubō—
5Latin*dubos—
6Indo-European*bʰuH-—

Words derived from “doubt”

Every word from Indo-European *bʰuH- →Every word from Latin *dubos →Every word from Latin dubō →
doubt — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer