Where does “dullwittedness” come from?
dullwittedness (English) comes from English dull-witted, from English dull, from Middle English dull, from Old English dol, from Proto-West Germanic *dol, from Proto-Germanic dulaz, from Proto-Germanic dwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwel-.
dullwittedness (English): The quality of being dull-witted
Definitions
- The quality of being dull-witted
Ancestry of “dullwittedness”, step by step
dullwittedness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dull-witted
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dull-witted | Having a dull, blunt wit or mind; unintelligent |
| 2 | English | dull | Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp;... |
| 3 | Middle English | dull | — |
| 4 | Old English | dol | foolish |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *dol | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | dulaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | dwalaz | confused, stunned; foolish, misled, mad |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwel- | — |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |