strait between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara, separating Europe from Asia, the classical Hellespont, probably from Dardanus (Greek Dardanos), name of an ancient city near Troy, on the Asia side of the strait, home of the Dardani, a people-name said to be from a mythical founder Dardanus, but this is likely folk-etymology. Related: Dardanian.
Middle English durren, daren, from first and third person singular of Old English durran "be bold enough, have courage" (to do something), also transitive "to venture, presume," from Proto-Germanic *ders- (source also of Old Norse dearr, Old High German giturran, Gothic gadaursan), according to Watkins from PIE root *dhers- "bold" (source also of Sanskrit dadharsha "to be bold;" Old Persian darš- "to dare;" Greek thrasys "bold," tharsos "confidence, courage, audacity;" Old Church Slavonic druzate "to be bold, dare;" Lithuanian drįsti "to dare," drąsus "courageous").
An Old English irregular preterite-present verb: darr, dearst, dear were first, second and third person singular present indicative; mostly regularized 16c., though past tense dorste survived as durst, but is now dying, persisting mainly in northern English dialect.
Transitive sense of "attempt boldly to do" is from 1630s. Meaning "to challenge or defy (someone), provoke to action," especially by asserting or implying that one lacks the courage to accept the challenge, is by 1570s. Weakened sense in I dare say (late 14c.) "I suppose, I presume, I think likely," now usually implying more or less indifference. How dare you? is from c. 1200 (Hu durre ȝe).
1794, "recklessly daring person, one who fears nothing and will attempt anything," from dare (v.) + devil (n.). The devil might refer to the person, or the sense might be "one who dares the devil." For the formation, compare scarecrow, killjoy, dreadnought, pickpocket (n.), cut-throat, also fear-babe a 16c. word for "something that frightens children;" kill-devil "bad rum," sell-soul "one who sells his soul" (1670s).
As an adjective, "characteristic of a daredevil, reckless," by 1832. Related: Daredevilism; daredeviltry.
region in Sudan, named for its people, from Arabic dar, literally "house" + Fur, ethnic name of the indigenous African population.
"adventurous courage," 1610s, verbal noun from dare (v.).
name of three Persian rulers, notably Darius the Great, Persian emperor 521-485 B.C.E., from Greek Darius, from Old Persian Darayavaus, probably literally "he who holds firm the good," from PIE root *dher- "to hold firmly, support."
town in northeastern India, from Tibetan dojeling "diamond island," in reference to Vajrayana (literally "vehicle of the diamond") Buddhism. The "island" being the high ground of the place's site. As a type of tea, by 1862.
The first trial of the tea plant at Darjeeling was made in 1841, with a few seeds grown in Kumaon from China stock. It was quite successful as to its growth, and the quality was approved of by the Assam tea planter who visited Darjeeling in 1846, and made the first tea here. The original plants are now to be seen. All are of gigantic size; one is a bush 50 feet in circumference and 20 feet high. [list of contributions from British India at the New Zealand Exhibition of 1865]
early 13c., derk, "absence of light, night-time," from dark (adj.). Figurative in the dark "in a state of ignorance" is from 1670s; earlier it meant "in secrecy, in concealment" (late 14c.).
