English
dweller
Dweller comes from Middle English dweller ‘dweller, inhabitant’, from Old English dwellan ‘to mislead, deceive’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰwel-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dwalaz‘confused, stunned’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dwaljaną‘to be confused, perplex’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*dwalljan‘to be confused, perplex’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dwellan‘to mislead, deceive’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dwellen‘to live, reside, or inhabit’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500dweller‘dweller, inhabitant’
- Englishearliest quotation 1642same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰwel-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dwalaz‘confused, stunned’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dwaljaną‘to be confused, perplex’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*dwalljan‘to be confused, perplex’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dwellan‘to mislead, deceive’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dwellen‘to live, reside, or inhabit’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500dweller‘dweller, inhabitant’
- Englishearliest quotation 1642same form
Earliest quotation: 1642, James Howell, Section X: “[T]he craggineſſe and ſteepineſſe of places up and dovvn…”
Formed from dwell + -er
Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel-
…
Proto-Germanic *dwaljaną ‘to hold up, delay’
Proto-West Germanic *dwalljan ‘to hold up, delay’
Old English dwellan ‘to mislead, deceive’
Middle English dwellen ‘delay, live, remain, persist’
English dwell
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *dwalaz ‘confused, stunned’
Today it means
noun An inhabitant of a specific place; an inhabitant or denizen.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰwel- / dweller