Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “oaf” come from?

Oaf comes from Old Norse alfr, from Proto-Germanic albiz, from Proto-Indo-European albʰós, with meaning uncertain through the transmission.

oaf (English): A person, especially a large male, who is clumsy...

Definitions

  1. A person, especially a large male, who is clumsy...

Ancestry of “oaf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishawf—
2Old NorseÁlfr—
3Proto-Germanicalbizelf, fairy
4Proto-Indo-Europeanalbʰóswhite

Words derived from “oaf”

  • oafish
  • oafishness
  • oafishly
  • ouphe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European albʰós →