Where does “humdrum” come from?
Humdrum comes from English hum, a word of imitative origin meaning to make a continuous droning sound, combined with drum to describe something monotonously repetitive.
humdrum (English): Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring; The...
Definitions
- Lacking variety or excitement; dull; boring; The...
Ancestry of “humdrum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | hum | A hummed tune, i.e. created orally with lips... |
| 2 | Middle English | hummen | to hum, buzz, drone, make a murmuring sound to... |
Words derived from “humdrum”