Where does “dumbfound” come from?
dumbfound (English) comes from English confound, from Middle English confounden, from Anglo-Norman cunfundre, from Latin confundō, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
dumbfound (English): To confuse and bewilder; to leave speechless
Definitions
- To confuse and bewilder; to leave speechless
Ancestry of “dumbfound”, step by step
dumbfound traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English confound
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | confound | To perplex or puzzle; To stun or amaze; To fail... |
| 2 | Middle English | confounden | destroy, ruin, perplex |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | cunfundre | Alternative form of confondre |
| 4 | Latin | confundō | to pour, mingle, stir up |
| 5 | Latin | cōn- | Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects |
| 6 | Latin | cum | with, along with; at; -fold |
| 7 | Old Latin | com | Alternative form of cum |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | kom | with, along, at |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 11 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 12 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 13 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 14 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 15 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 17 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
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 |