Dotage
/ˈdoʊ.tɪdʒ/noun
A state of senile decline or foolish infatuation.
Did you know?Dotage comes from a root linked to being mentally dull or stupefied, and in Middle English it could describe the weakness of old age before it narrowed into today’s meaning of senile fondness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dheu-
“to be clouded, dim, or confused”
Old English
OE
doten
“to act foolishly or be foolish”
Middle English
ME
dotage
“foolishness, especially the weakness or feebleness of old age”
16th Century
English
dotage
“the condition of being weak-minded from age; senile decay”
Modern English
English
dotage
“senile decline or foolish love and infatuation”