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
Ancestry of “topless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | topless | Lacking a top; Very high, towering; Not wearing a... |
| 2 | English | -less | Lacking ; without . Added usually to a noun to... |
| 3 | Middle English | -les | Lacking ; without |
| 4 | Turkish | -le | with, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form... |
| 5 | Turkish | ile | with; and |
| 6 | Ottoman Turkish | ایله | — |
| 7 | Old Anatolian Turkish | اِیلَه | — |
| 8 | Proto-Turkic | bile | with, together, also |