"D" Word Origins

dildo

English

Unclear; possibly an alteration of English diddle. Compare the use as an expressive nonsense syllable in often sexual songs and the spelling dil doul, found in e.g. The Maids Complaint for want of a Dil Doul, a song in the library of Samuel Pepys. Unlikely to be related to Italian diletto (“delight”) or Latin dīlātō (“to open up, spread”), often cited etymologies.

dilemma

Late Latin

From Late Latin dilemma, from Greek dilemma, "double proposition" — from di-, "two," plus lemma, "premise."

dilettante

Italian

From Italian dilettante, "one who delights [in something]," from dilettare, "to delight."

DILF

English

An initialism of dad I'd like to fuck, formed on the pattern of MILF.

diligence

Latin

Borrowed from French diligence, from Latin diligentia.

diligent

Latin

From Old French diligent, from Latin diligens, "careful, attentive" — literally "choosing carefully," from legere, "to choose."

diligently

Origin

From "diligent" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly".

dilithium

Origin

From "di-" (two) plus "lithium", the metal.

dill

Old English

From Old English "dile", ultimately from a Proto-Germanic word of uncertain, likely non-Indo-European origin.

Dillon

Origin

From the Irish surname, from Breton Leon and Norman Léon, named after Sir Henry de Leon of the Viscounty of Léon. Related to the surname Lyon. Unrelated to the name Dylan, although the homophony may result in the two being considered variant spellings of the same name.

dillweed

Origin

Compound of dill + weed. From Old English dili (“dill”).

dilly

Origin

Probably from "dill" (as in "dilly-dally," to dawdle) plus the adjective/diminutive ending -y, though its exact origin as slang for "remarkable" is uncertain.

dilly dally

English

A reduplication of dally 'to waste time, linger'.

diluent

Origin

Latin diluens, from diluere. See dilute.

dilutable

Origin

From dilute + -able.

dilute

Latin

From Latin "dīluere", "to wash away or dissolve" — the same root that gives us "deluge".

diluvium

Origin

Learned borrowing from Latin dīluvium (“flood”), from lavō (“to wash”). Doublet of deluge.

dim

Old English

From Old English "dimm" ("dark, gloomy"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "dark".

Dima

Russian

From Russian Ди́ма (Díma), a diminutive of the male given name Дми́трий (Dmítrij, “Demetrius”).

dimbus

Origin

From dim. Compare dimbo.

dime

Latin

From Anglo-Norman "disme" ("a tenth, a tithe"), from Latin "decima (pars)", "tenth part".

dimenhydrinate

Origin

From dim(ethyl) + (b)en(z)hydr(yl) + (am)in(e) + -ate.

dimension

Latin

From Latin "dīmēnsiō", "a measuring out", from "dīmētior", "to measure".

diminish

Latin

Shaped by the blending of Old French "diminuer" (from Latin "dīminuo") with the older English word "minish", both meaning to make smaller.

diminuendo

Origin

Borrowed from Italian diminuendo.

diminution

Origin

From Middle English diminucioun, from Anglo-Norman diminuciun, Old French diminucion, from Latin dīminūtiō.

diminutive

Latin

From Old French "diminutif", from Latin "dīminūtīvus", based on the past participle of "dīminuere", "to lessen".

Dimitri

Ancient Greek

From Italian Dimitri, tracing back through Latin Demetrius to Ancient Greek Demetrios, meaning "follower of Demeter," the goddess of agriculture.

Dimitris

Greek

Transliteration of Greek Δημήτρης (Dimítris), a male given name used in (modern) Greece. Doublet of Demetrius.

dimmer

Origin

From "dim" plus the agent suffix "-er".

dimmet

Origin

Likely related to dim + -et.

dimness

Origin

From Middle English dymnes, dymnesse, from Old English dimnes, dymnys, dimness (“dimness, darkness, obscurity”), equivalent to dim + -ness.

dimple

Old English

From Old English "*dympel", "a pit or hollow", related to Proto-Germanic roots meaning "deep" or "hollow".

dimwit

Origin

A compound of "dim" and "wit".

dimwittedness

Origin

From dimwitted + -ness.

DIN

German

Borrowed from German DIN.

Dina

Hebrew

Equivalent of the biblical name Dinah in several European languages, ultimately from Hebrew דִּינָה.

Dinah

Hebrew

From Hebrew דִּינָה (dīna, "judged, vindicated"); see דין.

dinar

Latin

From Arabic "dīnār", ultimately from Latin "dēnārius" — the same root behind "denier" and "diner" (the currency sense).

dine

Vulgar Latin

From Old French "disner" ("to eat the day's main meal"), from Vulgar Latin roots meaning "to break one's fast".

diner

Origin

From "dine" plus the agent suffix "-er".

dinero

Latin

Borrowed from Spanish "dinero" ("money"), ultimately from the same Latin root as "denarius".

ding

Old English

From Old English "*dingan", "to strike or beat", related to Old Norse "dengja", "to hammer".

dingbat

Origin

Unknown, US mid 19th century. The word-puzzle sense comes from the board game Dingbats, which is based on these puzzles. In the sense of a miscellaneous gadget, probably influenced by dingus or its etyma.

dinger

Origin

From ding + -er.

dinghy

Sanskrit

From Bengali "ḍiṅi", possibly ultimately from a Sanskrit word for a wooden trough.

dingle

Old English

From Middle English "dingle", related to Old English "dung" ("pit, dungeon") plus a diminutive ending.

dingleberry

Origin

A (possibly dialectal) alteration of dangleberry.