Where does “topless” come from?

topless (Dutch) comes from English topless, from English -less, from Middle English -les, from Turkish -le, from Turkish ile, from Ottoman Turkish ایله, from Old Anatolian Turkish اِیلَه, from Proto-Turkic bile — with, together, also.

topless (Dutch): topless lacking clothes on the upper part of the body

Definitions

  1. topless lacking clothes on the upper part of the body

Ancestry of “topless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoplessLacking a top; Very high, towering; Not wearing a...
2English-less(something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun
3Middle English-lesLacking (something); without (something)
4Turkish-lewith, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form...
5Turkishilewith; and
6Ottoman Turkishایلهby
7Old Anatolian Turkishاِیلَه
8Proto-Turkicbilewith, together, also
Every word from Proto-Turkic bileEvery word from English -lessEvery word from Middle English -les