Where does “dumbness” come from?
Dumbness comes from Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes, combining Old English dumb with the suffix -nes, ultimately from Proto-Germanic dumbaz and Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ- or dʰewh₂-.
dumbness (English): The state of being dumb or mute: that is, of not...
Definitions
- The state of being dumb or mute: that is, of not...
Ancestry of “dumbness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | dombenesse | Muteness; not being able to speak; Silence; not... |
| 2 | Old English | dumbnes | muteness, dumbness |
| 3 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |