i was talking with someone this morning who i've come to associate with the expectation of learning a new word with each encounter, and she used the word "dotage" in reference to declining faculties due to age. i'd never heard this root used in any other context than 'doting', and it wasn't until i searched for an etymological relationship that i learned of "doting's" secondary definition, to wit:

doting:

1. Feeling and expressing affection : affectionate, devoted, fond, loving.
2. Exhibiting the mental and physical deterioration often accompanying old age : doddering, senile.

i can't see the connection between these two uses. can anyone enlighten me??