Etymology

dally

D2A1L1L1Y4

Today it means: To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle. Full definition →

Middle English dalien ← Anglo-Norman delaier
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dally · verb1

  1. Anglo-Norman · derived fromdelaier
  2. Middle English · derived fromdalien
  3. English todaydally

From Middle English dalien, from Anglo-Norman delaier. Doublet of delay.

dally · noun, verb2

  1. Spanish · derived fromdale vuelta“twist it around”
  2. English todaydally

Possibly from Spanish dale vuelta (“twist it around”) by law of Hobson-Jobson, from dale + la + vuelta.

Dally · noun3

Contraction of "Dalmatian Coast", from where many Croatian emigrants originated. Also spelt "Dallie"

Words from the same roots

Anglo-Normandelaier all →

delay

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.