English
daunt
Daunt comes from Middle English daunten ‘to attain victory and control over’, from Old French danter ‘to tame’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *demh₂-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*demh₂-‘to domesticate, tame’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domaōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdomō‘tame, conquer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdomitō‘tame’frequentative of domō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400danter‘to tame’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500daunten‘to attain victory and control over’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611daunt
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*demh₂-‘to domesticate, tame’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*domaōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdomō‘tame, conquer’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdomitō‘tame’frequentative of domō
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400danter‘to tame’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500daunten‘to attain victory and control over’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611daunt
Earliest quotation: 1611, Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed]: “[The English] valiantly, and with the ſlaughter of many,…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *demh₂- ‘to domesticate, tame’
diamond, adamant, diamante, 13 more
through Latin domō ‘tame, conquer’
Today it means
verb To discourage, intimidate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *demh₂- / daunt