English word origin

Etymology of daff

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

A fool; an idiot; a blockhead.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”), from Old Norse daufr (“deaf, stupid”), from Proto-Germanic *daubaz (“deaf, stunned”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, whirl, smoke, be obscure”). Doublet of deaf, dof, and dowf. Cognate with Swedish döv (“deaf”), Danish døv (“deaf, stupid”). More at deaf.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Root classification mention*dʰewbʰ-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentiondafenm
Derivation mentiondaufrnon
Derivation mention*daubazgem-pro
Derivation mention*dʰewbʰ-ine-pro
Doublet mentiondeafen
Doublet mentiondofen
Doublet mentiondowfen
Cognate mentiondövsv
Cognate mentiondøvda

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "*dʰewbʰ-"
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    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "daf"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English daf"
    },
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      "args": {
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        "2": "non",
        "3": "daufr",
        "4": "",
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    },
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      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“to whisk, whirl, smoke, be obscure”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
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        "3": "",
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "døv",
        "3": "",
        "4": "deaf, stupid"
      },
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    }
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      "daf",
      "daf#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "daffe",
      "daffe#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "daufr#Old_Norse"
    ],
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      "*daubaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/daubaz"
    ],
    [
      "*dʰewbʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dʰewbʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "deaf",
      "deaf#English"
    ],
    [
      "dof",
      "dof#English"
    ],
    [
      "dowf",
      "dowf#English"
    ],
    [
      "döv",
      "döv#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "døv",
      "døv#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "deaf",
      "deaf#English"
    ]
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  "references": [],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To be foolish; make sport; play; toy. · To daunt.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English daffen (“to render foolish”), from daf, daffe (“fool, idiot”). See above.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentiondaffenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "daffen",
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      },
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    }
  ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

To toss (aside); to dismiss. · To turn (someone) aside; divert.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Variant of doff.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

Clipping of daffodil.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From daffodil.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

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Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-ZGFmZg