Where does “dotard” come from?
dotard (Middle English) comes from Middle English -ard, from Old French -ard, from Frankish -hard, from Proto-Germanic harduz, from Proto-Indo-European kert-, from Proto-Turkic *keŕ-.
dotard (Middle English): A dotard; someone who displays senility; A fool...
Definitions
- A dotard; someone who displays senility; A fool...
Ancestry of “dotard”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | -ard | — |
| 2 | Old French | -ard | pejorative agent noun |
| 3 | Frankish | -hard | hardy, bold |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | harduz | hard; brave |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kert- | times; to weave, twist together; time |
| 6 | Proto-Turkic | *keŕ- | — |
Words derived from “dotard”