Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dummy light” come from?

dummy light (English) comes from English dummy, from English dumb, from English damn, from Middle English dampnen, from Old French dampner, from Latin damnō, from Latin damnum, from Proto-Italic dapnom — to share, divide.

dummy light (English): Synonym of idiot light; A type of stop light set...

Definitions

  1. Synonym of idiot light; A type of stop light set...

Ancestry of “dummy light”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdummyA silent person; a person who does not talk; An...
2EnglishdumbUnable to speak; lacking power of speech; Silent;...
3EnglishdamnTo condemn to hell; To condemn; to declare...
4Middle Englishdampnento damn
5Old Frenchdampnerto damn
6Latindamnō—
7Latindamnumdamage or injury; loss; a fine
8Proto-Italicdapnom—
9Proto-Indo-Europeandh₂pnómexpense, investment
10Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂p-to sacrifice; to lose
11Proto-Indo-Europeandeh₂-to share, divide
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deh₂- →