Where does “def” come from?

def (Middle English) comes from Old English dēaf, from Proto-West Germanic daub, from Proto-Germanic daubaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

def (Middle English): Deaf; unable to hear

Definitions

  1. Deaf; unable to hear

Ancestry of “def”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishdēafdeaf
2Proto-West Germanicdaubstunned; deaf
3Proto-Germanicdaubazstunned; deaf
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “def”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic daubaz →