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Origin and history of dub

dub(v.1)

"give a name to," originally "make a knight," from late Old English dubbian "to bestow knighthood" (11c.), a word perhaps borrowed from Old French aduber "equip with arms, adorn" (11c.) which is of uncertain origin, probably Germanic, but there are phonetic difficulties. In Middle English the word could also mean "to dress up" with extended senses including adulteration or counterfeiting. Meaning "provided with a name" is from 1590s. Related: Dubbed; dubbing.

also from 11c.

dub(v.2)

"add or alter sound on film," 1929, shortening of double (v.); so called because it involves making an additional recording of voices and combining it with the soundtrack. The type of re-mixed reggae music was so called from 1974, probably for the same reason. Related: Dubbed; dubbing.

also from 1929

Entries linking to dub

double(v.)

c. 1200, doublen, "to make double; increase, enlarge, or extend by adding an equal portion, measure, or value to," from Old French dobler, from Latin duplare, from duplus "twofold, twice as much" (see double (adj.)). Intransitive sense of "to become twice as great" is from late 14c.

From mid-14c. as "to duplicate;" from late 14c. as "to repeat, do twice;" from c. 1400 in the transitive sense of "lay or fold one part of upon another." By 1540s as "to pass round or by." Sense of "turn in the opposite direction" is from 1590s. Meaning "to bend or fold" (a part of the body) is from early 15c.; to double up bodily is from 1814.

A blow on the stomach "doubles up" the boxer, and occasions that gasping and crowing which sufficiently indicate the cause of the injury .... [Donald Walker, "Defensive Exercises," 1840]

Meaning "to work as, in addition to one's regular job" is c. 1920, circus slang, from performers who also played in the band. Related: Doubled; doubling.

overdub(v.)

"add (extraneous sounds) to a recording," 1954, from over- + dub (v.). As a noun (over-dub) from 1953. Related: Overdubbed; overdubbing.

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Trends of dub

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/ with a 7-year moving average; ngrams are probably unreliable.

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nickname

mid-15c., neke name, a misdivision of ekename (c. 1300), an eke name, "a familiar or diminutive name," especially one given in derision or reproach, literally "an additional name," from Old English eaca "an increase," related to eacian "to increase" (cognate with Old Norse auka-n

knight

Old English cniht "boy, youth; servant, attendant," a word common to the nearby Germanic languages (Old Frisian kniucht, Dutch knecht, Middle High German kneht "boy, youth, lad," German Knecht "servant, bondman, vassal"), of unknown origin. For pronunciation, see kn-. The plural

sound

"noise, what is heard, sensation produced through the ear," late 13c., soun, from Old French son "sound, musical note, voice," from Latin sonus "sound, a noise," from PIE *swon-o-, from root *swen- "to sound." The unetymological -d was established c. 1350-1550 (see D). Sound-boar

interpret

late 14c., "expound the meaning of, render clear or explicit," from Old French interpreter "explain; translate" (13c.) and directly from Latin interpretari "explain, expound, understand," from interpres "agent, translator," from inter "between" (see inter-) + second element proba

render

late 14c., rendren, rendre, "repeat, say again, recite; translate," from Old French rendre "give back, present, yield" (10c.) and Medieval Latin rendere, from Vulgar Latin *rendere, a variant of Latin reddere "give back, return, restore," from red- "back" (see re-) + combining fo

name

"word by which a person or thing is denoted," Old English nama, noma "name, reputation," from Proto-Germanic *naman- (source also of Old Saxon namo, Old Frisian nama, Old High German namo, German Name, Middle Dutch name, Dutch naam, Old Norse nafn, Gothic namo "name"), from PIE r

mane

"growth of long hair on the back of the neck and shoulders," characteristic of the horse, lion, and some other animals, Old English manu "mane of a horse," from Proto-Germanic *mano (source also of Old Norse mön, Old Frisian mana, Middle Dutch mane, Dutch manen, Old High German m

amen

Old English, from Late Latin amen, from Ecclesiastical Greek amen, from Hebrew amen "truth," used adverbially as an expression of agreement (as in Deuteronomy xxvii.26, I Kings i.36), from Semitic root a-m-n "to be trustworthy, confirm, support." Compare similar use of Modern Eng

mean

"intend, have in mind;" Middle English mēnen, from Old English mænan "intend (to do something), plan; indicate (a certain object) or convey (a certain sense) when using a word," from Proto-West Germanic *menjojanan (source also of Old Frisian mena "to signify," Old Saxon menian "

entitle

also intitle, late 14c., "to give a title to a chapter, book, etc.," from Anglo-French entitler, Old French entiteler "entitle, call" (Modern French intituler), from Late Latin intitulare "give a title or name to," from in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + titulus "title" (see tit

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