Where does “dumb” come from?

dumb (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic *dumb, from Proto-Germanic dumbaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

dumb (Old English): mute, dumb; a mute

Definitions

  1. mute, dumb; a mute

Ancestry of “dumb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic*dumb—
2Proto-Germanicdumbazdumb, mute, unable to speak
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “dumb”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →