Where does “dab” come from?

dab (Indonesian) comes from English dub, from English dup, from Middle English don up — to open.

dab (Indonesian): dub: the replacement of a voice part in a movie or cartoon, particularly with a translation; an instance of dubbing

Definitions

  1. dub: the replacement of a voice part in a movie or cartoon, particularly with a translation; an instance of dubbing

Ancestry of “dab”, step by step

dab traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English dub

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdubTo confer knighthood; the conclusion of the...
2Englishdupto open
3Middle Englishdon upto open

via Arabic ضَبّ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Arabicضَبّspiny-tailed lizard
2Proto-Semiticṣ́abb-a type of lizard or reptile; creature that...
Every word from Middle English don up →