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.
Ancestry of “def”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | dēaf | deaf |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | daub | stunned; deaf |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | daubaz | stunned; deaf |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |