# douth

> English word · Noun · IPA /daʊθ/

## Definitions
1. Virtue; excellence; atheldom; nobility; power; riches.
2. A group of people, especially an army or retinue.
3. Reliability; ease; security; shelter.

## Etymology
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/douth