Where does “dull” come from?

Dull comes from Middle English dull, from Old English dol, from Proto-Germanic dulaz and dwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel-.

dull (English): Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp;...

Definitions

  1. Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp;...

Ancestry of “dull”, step by step

dull traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English dull

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdull—
2Old Englishdolfoolish
3Proto-West Germanic*dol—
4Proto-Germanicdulazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
5Proto-Germanicdwalazconfused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰwel-—

via Irish dul

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Irishdulverbal noun of téigh; going, passing, departure;...
2Old Irishdulsnare, trap; going, to go
3Proto-Celticdolāmeadow, dale
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰolh₂-o-valley

via English Dill

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDillAnethum graveolens (the type species of the genus Anethum), a herb, the seeds of which are moderately warming, pungent, and aromatic, formerly used as a soothing medicine for children; also known as dillseed
2Middle Englishdiledill or its seed
3Old Englishdiledill, anise
4Proto-Germanicdelizsow thistle

Words derived from “dull”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel- →