dumbness

English

Alternative forms

• dumbnesse (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb +‎ -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).

Noun

dumbness (usually uncountable, plural dumbnesses)

1. (dated, now offensive) The state of being mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
   • 1944, Emily Carr, “Sissy's Job”, in The House of All Sorts:

     He was a deaf-mute. His dumbness did not seem to matter when we were boys.

2. (dated) Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     There was speech in their dumbness.

3. (dated) Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
   • c. 1605–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:

     To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.

4. (informal) The quality of being stupid or foolish.

Usage notes

• The words ‘dumb’ and ‘dumbness’ to describe a person who lacks the ability to speak are now usually considered offensive, because it can also mean ‘stupid’, especially in American English. Many people now prefer the term ‘speech impaired’ or ‘speech impairment’.

Synonyms

• dumbhood

Derived terms

• artificial dumbness

Related terms

• dumb
• dumb-show

Translations

the state of being mute

• Aramaic:

  Classical Syriac: ܚܪܫܘܬܐ

• Finnish: tyhmyys (fi)
• Georgian: სიმუნჯე (simunǯe)
• German: Stummheit (de) f, Mutitas f (medicine)
• Irish: bailbhe f, balbhántaíocht f
• Italian: mutezza f
• Latin: alogia f
• Middle English: dombenesse
• Romanian: muțenie (ro) f
• Russian: немота́ (ru) f (nemotá)
• Turkish: dilsizlik (tr)

the quality of being stupid

• Russian: тупость (ru) f (tupostʹ), тупизна (ru) f (tupizna)
• Turkish:

  Ottoman Turkish: شاشقینلق (şaşkınlık)