Where does “-less” come from?

-less (English) comes 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.

-less (English): (something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun

Definitions

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

Ancestry of “-less”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-lesLacking (something); without (something)
2Turkish-lewith, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form...
3Turkishilewith; and
4Ottoman Turkishایلهby
5Old Anatolian Turkishاِیلَه—
6Proto-Turkicbilewith, together, also

Words derived from “-less”

Every word from Proto-Turkic bile →