dämlich

Borrowed from German Low German form that in standard usage replaced High German dämisch, damisch from the same source. Various theories about the etymology have been suggested:

• It may be cognate with Latin tēmētum.
• It may be related to taumeln (“to tumble”), but this is unlikely since forms with t- are not attested.
• It may be related to dämmern (“to become dim”), but this is also rejected by the Duden and Kluge.
• The Duden derives it from the Low German verb dämelen "not quite in one's right mind".
• Kluge suggests it is from Proto-Germanic *þēm-, which (along with the Latin cognate tēmulentus (“drunk”)) is from Proto-Indo-European *tem- (“dazed, numbed”).

It is not related to Dame, despite popular folk etymology.

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛːmlɪç/ (standard; used naturally in western Germany and Switzerland)
• IPA^(key): /ˈdeːmlɪç/ (overall more common; particularly northern and eastern regions)

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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• Hyphenation: däm‧lich

dämlich (strong nominative masculine singular dämlicher, comparative dämlicher, superlative am dämlichsten)

1. very stupid

• Dämlichkeit

• damisch (colloquial; Austro-Bavarian)
• Dämlack

• “dämlich” in Duden online
• “dämlich” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache