daft English · revision 1579

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /dæft/; /dɑːft/ ''(UK)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|dafte|t=gentle; foolish]],^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) [[inh|ang|gedæfte|t=mild, gentle, becoming]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) from [[gem-pro|*gadaftijaz]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) from a root ''*dab-'' “fitting”, which has no certain Indo-European etymology.^(Etymonline) It is the same word as [[deft]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Mild, gentle, meek (about 1000).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The meaning declined from “meek” to “dull, awkward” about 1300,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995) perhaps because a meek person might be taken for a dull one, a development like that of [[silly]].^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) It came to mean foolish or stupid by the mid-15th century^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989) and crazy by 1536,^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline) probably influenced by ''daffe'' “halfwit”.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) The Scottish sense of madly merry is from about 1575.^(OED 1989)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * about 1000 – meek, gentle.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * about 1300 – dull, awkward.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * about 1450 – stupid, foolish.^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)

+ * 1536 – crazy, insane.^(OED 1989)^(Etymonline)

+ * about 1575 – giddily merry, in Scots.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Silly or foolish.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Mad or [[insane]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Scottish)'' Merry and [[frolicsome]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[daftly]]

+ * [[daftness]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[deft]]

+ * [[daffy]]

+ * [[silly]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}