20kWEB: Origin of the word Dandle. Etymology of the word Dandle. Etymology Dictionary.

DANDLE, to toss a child in one's arms, or fondle it in the lap. (E.) In Shak. Venus, 562; 2 Hen. VI, i. 3. 148. The orig. meaning was, probably, to play, trifle with. Thus we find: 'King Henry's ambassadors into France having beene dandled [trifled with, cajoled] by the French during these delusive practices, returned without other fruite of their labours;' Speed, Hen. VII, b. ix. c. 20. s. 28. It may be considered as English, though not found in any early author. α. In form, it is a frequentative verb, made by help of the suffix -le from an O. Low German base dand- or dant-, signifying to trifle, play, dally, loiter. Traces of this base appear in prov. Eng. dander, to talk incoherently, to wander about; Lowland Sc. dandill, to go about idly; O. Du. danten, to do foolish things, trifle; O. Du. dantinnen, to trifle (whence probably F. dandiner, 'to go gaping ill-favouredly, to look like an ass;' Cotgrave.) Cf. also Swed. dial. danka, to saunter about; Rietz. β. The shortest form appears in O. Du. dant, a headstrong, capricious, effeminate man; see Oudemans. The corresponding High-German word is the O.H.G. tant, G. tand, a trifle, toy, idle prattle; whence tändeln, to toy, trifle, play, dandle, lounge, tarry (Flügel). This G. tändeln is exactly cognate with E. dandle, and is obviously due to the sb. tand. Remoter origin unknown. γ. Cf. O. Ital. dandolare, dondolare, 'to dandle or play the baby,' Florio; dandola, dondola, 'a childes baby [doll]; also, a dandling; also, a kind of play with a tossing-ball;' id. This word, like the F. dandiner, is from a Low G. root.

Etymology Dictionary

Origin of the word DANDLE. Etymology of the word DANDLE.