dumb
UK[dʌm]US[dʌm]
adj
Lacking the power of speech
adj
Stupid or unintelligent
adj
Temporarily speechless, as from shock or strong emotion
v
To make less vivid, distinct, or loud
Etymology
The word 'dumb' originates from the Old English 'dumb', meaning 'mute, silent, speechless'. This descends from the Proto-Germanic dumbaz, which carried the same meaning. The sense of 'stupid, foolish' is a secondary development, first recorded in English around the 1820s, arising from the association between an inability to speak and a perceived lack of intelligence. This semantic shift from physical muteness to mental dullness illustrates a common pattern of pejoration in language evolution.
Analysis
The word 'dumb' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a complete, unanalyzable root in modern English.
Examples
The injury left him permanently dumb.
That was a really dumb mistake to make.
She was struck dumb by the magnificent view.