Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “daffe” come from?

daffe (Middle English) comes from Old Norse daufr, from Proto-Germanic daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

daffe (Middle English): fool, idiot

Definitions

  1. fool, idiot

Ancestry of “daffe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsedaufrdeaf
2Proto-Germanicdaubazstunned; deaf
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “daffe”

  • daffy
  • daffing
  • daff
  • daffiness
  • daffish
  • daffily
  • daffock
  • daffen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →