The Dole Was Once Charity Handed Out at the Door
A dole is a portion distributed. In Britain the word came to mean unemployment benefit.
A dole is a portion given out, especially of charity. Old English *dal* meant a share, the same root as *deal*, and monasteries and great houses distributed doles of bread and money at the gate. When Britain introduced unemployment benefit in 1911, the old charity word attached itself to it, and *on the dole* has been ordinary English ever since. A separate *dole* means grief, from Latin *dolor*, and survives in *doleful*.
- A portion given out. *A dole of bread.*
- Unemployment benefit (British). *On the dole.*
- To distribute. *Dole it out.*
- Grief (archaic). *Doleful.*
- Old English — *dal*, a share. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dole | The dole. |
| Verb | dole | Doling out. |
| Adjective | doleful | Doleful. |
| Related | deal | A deal. |
| Latin | dolor | Grief. |
- He was on the dole for a year.Benefit.
- She doled out the rations.Distribution.
- A doleful expression.Grief.
Two unrelated doles
- The share — Old English *dal*, the same root as deal
- The grief — Latin *dolor*, through French
- Doleful belongs to the second
- Dole out belongs to the first
- They met only in spelling, never in meaning
Old English *dal*, a share or portion, the same root as *deal*. The sense of grief is Latin *dolor*.
Why is unemployment benefit called the dole?
From the older sense of a charitable portion handed out. When Britain introduced benefit in 1911 the old word transferred to it.
Is doleful related?
No. That comes from Latin dolor, meaning grief, and is a separate word that happens to be spelled the same.