douth

English

Pronunciation

  • enPR: douth, IPA(key): /daʊθ/
  • Rhymes: -aʊθ

Etymology 1

From Middle English douthe, douth, duweðe (“body of retainers, people, might, dignity, worth”), from Old English duguþ (“manhood, host, multitude, troops”), from Proto-West Germanic *dugunþu, *dugunþi, from Proto-Germanic *dugunþō (“power, competency, notefulness, virtue”), from *duganą (“to be useful”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewgʰ- (“to be ready, be sufficient”).

Cognate with North Frisian døgd, døged (“ability, good deed”), Dutch deugd (“virtue”), German Tugend (“virtue”), Swedish dygd (“virtue”), Danish dyd (“virtue”), Icelandic dygð, dyggð (“virtue”). Related to dow, doughty.

Noun

douth (usually uncountable, plural douths)

  1. (obsolete) Virtue; excellence; atheldom; nobility; power; riches.
  2. (obsolete) A group of people, especially an army or retinue.
  3. (dialectal) Reliability; ease; security; shelter.
    There's no[sic] much douth in a wire fence.

Adjective

douth (comparative more douth, superlative most douth)

  1. (dialectal) Snug; comfortable; in easy circumstances.

Etymology 2

Noun

douth (plural douths)

  1. Alternative form of dought.

Middle English

Noun

douth

  1. alternative form of douthe
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