Etymology Explorer › Old Swedish

Where does “dumber” come from?

dumber (Old Swedish) comes from Old Norse dumbr, from Proto-Germanic dumbaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

dumber (Old Swedish): mute, unable to speak; muffled; obtuse, blunt

Definitions

  1. mute, unable to speak; muffled; obtuse, blunt

Ancestry of “dumber”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsedumbrdumb
2Proto-Germanicdumbazdumb, mute, unable to speak
3Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “dumber”

  • dumburk
  • dum
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →