Where does “dumbly” come from?
Dumbly comes from Old English -līċ (meaning "in the manner of") applied to dumbaz in Proto-Germanic, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ- (to be confused) and līg- (to bind), with ḱóm (together) as a formative element.
dumbly (English): mutely; silently
Ancestry of “dumbly”, step by step
| 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 | — |
| 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 |