doubt

Meanings

Verb

Noun

  • Disbelief or uncertainty (about something); a particular instance of such disbelief or uncertainty.
  • A point of uncertainty; a query.

Origin

  • The verb is derived from Middle English douten, from Old French douter, doter, duter (compare Middle French doubter), from Latin dubitāre, the present active infinitive of dubitō; the further etymology is uncertain, but one theory is that dubitō may be derived from dubius, from duhibius, from duo (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁) + habeō (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-). Although the Middle English form of the word was spelled without a b, this letter was later introduced through the influence of the Latin words dubitāre and dubitō. However, the English word continued to be pronounced without the b sound.
  • The noun is derived from Middle English dout, doute,
  • from Old French doute, dote, dute, from doter, douter, duter (compare Middle French doubter; modern French douter); see further etymology above.
  • Displaced Old English twēo ("doubt") and twēoġan.

Modern English dictionary

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