Where does “dim” come from?
dim (Middle English) comes from Old English dim, from Old English dimm, from Proto-Germanic dimmaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰem- — to whisk, smoke, blow; dust, haze, cloud; obscure.
Ancestry of “dim”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | dim | — |
| 2 | Old English | dimm | dim |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | dimmaz | dark; gloomy |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰem- | to whisk, smoke, blow; dust, haze, cloud; obscure |