Where does “poor dab” come from?
poor dab (English) comes from English dab, from English bad, from Middle English bad, from Old English bæd, from Old English biddan, from Proto-West Germanic biddjan, from Proto-Germanic bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰidʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.
poor dab (English): Someone to be pitied, poor thing
Definitions
- Someone to be pitied, poor thing
Ancestry of “poor dab”, step by step
poor dab traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dab
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dab | To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a... |
| 2 | English | bad | Unfavorable; negative; not good; Not suitable or... |
| 3 | Middle English | bad | — |
| 4 | Old English | bæd | first/third-person singular preterite of biddan |
| 5 | Old English | biddan | to ask; to beg |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | biddjan | to ask, to make a request |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bidjaną | to make a request; to ask; to request, ask |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰidʰ- | to command; pot, bucket, barrel |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeydʰ- | to compel, force; to trust |