Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gormless” come from?

gormless (English) comes from English gaum, from Middle English gōme, from Old English guma, from Proto-Germanic gumô, from Proto-Indo-European dʰǵʰm̥mō, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéǵʰōm, from Proto-Indo-European -ōm, from Proto-Indo-European -mi.

gormless (English): Lacking intelligence, sense or understanding;...

Definitions

  1. Lacking intelligence, sense or understanding;...

Ancestry of “gormless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgaumHeed; attention; To understand; comprehend;...
2Middle Englishgōme—
3Old Englishgumaman, hero
4Proto-Germanicgumôman
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰǵʰm̥mōearthling, human
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰéǵʰōmearth
7Proto-Indo-European-ōm—
8Proto-Indo-European-mi—

Words derived from “gormless”

  • gormlessly
  • gormlessness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -mi →