dote

dote · verb, noun¹

1. Middle English · inherited fromdote“simpleton”
2. Middle Dutch · derived fromdoten“to be silly”
3. Middle Low German · derived fromdoten“to be foolish”
4. Middle English · inherited fromdoten
5. English todaydote

The verb is derived from Middle English doten, from Middle Low German doten (“to be foolish”) or Middle Dutch doten (“to be silly”). Doublet of doit (Scottish English). The noun in the sense of "imbecile" is derived from Middle English dote (“simpleton”), itself from doten (see above). The noun in the sense of "darling" and "decay" is derived from the modern verb.

dote · noun²

1. Latin · derived fromdos
2. Middle French · derived fromdote
3. Middle English · inherited fromdote“endowment”
4. English todaydote

From Middle English dote (“endowment”) (c. 1450), from Middle French dote (modern dot), from Latin dos.

dote · verb³

1. Latin · derived fromdōtāre
2. Middle French · borrowed fromdoter
3. English todaydote

From Middle French doter, Latin dōtāre.

Words from the same roots