Where does “numbskull” come from?
numbskull (English) comes from English numb, from English nim, from Middle English nimen, from Old English niman, from Proto-West Germanic neman, from Proto-Germanic nemaną, from Proto-Indo-European nem- — to distribute; to give, to take.
numbskull (English): Alternative spelling of numskull
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of numskull
Ancestry of “numbskull”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | numb | Physically unable to feel, not having the power... |
| 2 | English | nim | To take or seize; To filch, steal; To walk with... |
| 3 | Middle English | nimen | to take |
| 4 | Old English | niman | to take, seize |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | neman | to take |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nemaną | to take |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | nem- | to distribute; to give, to take |
Words derived from “numbskull”