Etymograph

English

dare

Dare comes from Middle English durren ‘to dare, be willing to do in the face of…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to hold, support’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰer-‘to hold, support’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰers-‘to be bold, to dare’reconstructed*-s- extension of *dʰer-
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰedʰórse‘to dare’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*durzaną‘to dare’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*durʀan‘to dare’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150durran‘to dare’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500durren‘to dare, be willing to do in the face of hardship’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1516dare

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰer-‘to hold, support’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰers-‘to be bold, to dare’reconstructed*-s- extension of *dʰer-
  3. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰedʰórse‘to dare’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*durzaną‘to dare’reconstructed
  5. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*durʀan‘to dare’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150durran‘to dare’
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500durren‘to dare, be willing to do in the face of hardship’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1516dare

Earliest quotation: 1516, John Skelton, Magnificence: “I have an hobby can make larks to dare”.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‘to hold, support’

drug, firm, dry, drama, dark, throne, drain, drone, feasible, drastic, formidable, refrain, dharma, darn, dazed, dor, dern, 42 more

Today it means

verb To have enough courage (to do something).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- / dare

Shirt and support for this word