Etymologically
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doldrums

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈdɒldɹəmz/ (UK); /ˈdɑldɹəmz/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is probably from obsolete dold “dull, stupid”,[2][3] a form of dulled, the past participle of dull,[4][2][5] with an ending perhaps modelled on tantrum.[4][2][5][3] Merriam-Webster relates it to Old English dol “foolish”.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Low spirits, the dumps (by 1803).[5]

Semantic evolution

From a dull, listless mood, the word passed by 1824 to sailing ships that were becalmed and unable to make headway.[5] In nautical use it was then extended to the belt of ocean near the equator where calms, squalls and light, shifting winds are common (1848).[5][6][3] From these senses came the general meaning “a period of stagnation or slump”.[4][6][3]

Timeline

  • by 1803 – low spirits.[5]
  • 1811 – first date given by Merriam-Webster and Barnhart.[6][2]
  • by 1824 – the becalmed state of a sailing ship.[5]
  • 1848 – the region of calms near the equator.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A period of stagnation, inactivity or slump.
  2. A period of depression or listlessness.
  3. (often capitalized) A region of the ocean near the equator with calms and light, shifting winds; also the weather typical of it.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  4. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster