Where does “dumsnål” come from?
dumsnål (Swedish) comes from Swedish dum, from Old Swedish dumber, from Old Norse dumbr, from Proto-Germanic dumbaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
dumsnål (Swedish): stingy in a way that defeats the purpose, e.g. opting for a cheap product that breaks easily over a more expensive one and spending more money in total due to having to replace it; penny wise and pound foolish
Definitions
- stingy in a way that defeats the purpose, e.g. opting for a cheap product that breaks easily over a more expensive one and spending more money in total due to having to replace it; penny wise and pound foolish
Ancestry of “dumsnål”, step by step
dumsnål traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish dum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | dum | stupid, dumb; mean, cruel |
| 2 | Old Swedish | dumber | mute, unable to speak; muffled; obtuse, blunt |
| 3 | Old Norse | dumbr | dumb |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | dumbaz | dumb, mute, unable to speak |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via Swedish snål
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | snål | unwilling to spend or give money (or other resources); cheap, stingy |