Where does “dumbcane” come from?
dumbcane (English) comes from English dumb, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum, from Proto-Italic dapnom, from Proto-Indo-European dh₂pnóm — to share, divide.
dumbcane (English): A tropical plant of the genus "Dieffenbachia"
Definitions
- A tropical plant of the genus "Dieffenbachia"
Ancestry of “dumbcane”, step by step
dumbcane traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dumb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dumb | Unable to speak; lacking power of speech; Silent;... |
| 2 | English | damn | To condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare... |
| 3 | Middle English | dampnen | to damn |
| 4 | Old French | dampner | to damn |
| 5 | Latin | damnō | to discredit, find fault, disapprove, reject |
| 6 | Latin | damnum | damage or injury; loss; a fine |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | dapnom | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dh₂pnóm | expense, investment |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |
via English cane
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | cane | A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar... |
| 2 | French | canne | cane; stick; peg; leg; rod; fishing rod |
| 3 | Italian | canna | cane; barrel; rod |
| 4 | Latin | canna | A reed, cane; Anything made of reed or cane;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | κάννα | giant reed; reed mat |
| 6 | Akkadian | 𒄀 | reed; a certain unit of length |
| 7 | Sumerian | 𒄀 | reed; a certain unit of length |