Does Dumb Mean Mute?

Does Dumb Mean Mute? Does dumb mean mute? Dumb is the Old English word that means “mute, speechless,” and itself came from an even older word dheubh meaning “confusion, stupefaction, dizziness.” Today, dumb still means “unable to speak,” but it doesn’t have anything to do with intelligence. Why is a mute called dumb? According to

Can Gene Sheldon Talk?

Can Gene Sheldon Talk? Sheldon appeared in the Broadway revue Priorities of 1942, performing a comedy banjo act in which he did not speak, wearing an outfit resembling the costume of silent film comedian Harry Langdon and mimicking some of Langdon’s distinctive gestures. Was Gene Sheldon deaf? —Ronald Diven, Kansas City, Mo. Born Eugene Hume