Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dour” come from?

Dour comes from Scots dour, from Middle Irish dúr, from Latin durus meaning "hard," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dweh₂-.

dour (English): Stern, harsh and forbidding; Unyielding and...

Definitions

  1. Stern, harsh and forbidding; Unyielding and...

Ancestry of “dour”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Scotsdourstern, severe, relentless, dour
2Middle Irishdúrrigid, hard, solid; difficult; hard to bear
3Latindūrus—
4Proto-Italicdūros—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanduh₂-ró-slong, far
6Proto-Indo-Europeandweh₂-far; long

Words derived from “dour”

  • dourly
  • dourness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dweh₂- →