Where does “duel” come from?

Duel comes from Medieval Latin duellum, which derives from Proto-Indo-European dew-, a root of uncertain original meaning that developed into the sense of a combat between two persons.

duel (English): Arranged, regular combat between two private...

Definitions

  1. Arranged, regular combat between two private...

Ancestry of “duel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval Latinduellumfight between two men; war; combat between two...
2Proto-Indo-Europeandew-to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be...

Words derived from “duel

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dew-Every word from Medieval Latin duellum
duel — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer