English

-less

/ləs/
Lacking (something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun.

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    Origin

    From Middle English -les, -leas, from Old English -lēas (“-less”) (compare lēas (“devoid of, loose from, false”)), from Proto-West Germanic *-laus, from Proto-Germanic *-lausaz, from *lausaz (“loose”). (Not related to less, which derives from *laisiz, *laisizô.) Cognate with Scots -less, West Frisian -leas, Saterland Frisian -loos, Dutch -loos, Low German -los, German -los, Danish -løs, Swedish -lös, Icelandic -laus. More at loose.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • inheritedMiddle English-les
      • inheritedOld English-lēas
        • inheritedProto-West Germanic*-laus

    Related: Scots -less, West Frisian -leas, Saterland Frisian -loos, Dutch -loos, Low German -los, German -los, Danish -løs, Swedish -lös, Icelandic -laus

    Words built on it: will-less

    Sources