Where does “dum” come from?
dum (Middle Low German) comes from Old Saxon dumb, from Proto-West Germanic dumb, from Proto-Germanic dumbaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
dum (Middle Low German): stupid
Ancestry of “dum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | dumb | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | dumb | dumb, mute |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | dumbaz | dumb, mute, unable to speak |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |