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
- Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp;...
Ancestry of “dull”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dull | — |
| 2 | Old English | dol | foolish |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *dol | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | dulaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dwalaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwel- | — |
Words derived from “dull”