Where does “antless” come from?

antless (English) comes from English ȧnt, from Middle English ampte, from Old English ǣmete, from Proto-West Germanic āmaitijā, from Proto-West Germanic uʀ-, from Proto-Germanic uz-, from Proto-Indo-European uss-, from Proto-Indo-European uds- — out, outward.

antless (English): Without ants

Definitions

  1. Without ants

Ancestry of “antless”, step by step

antless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ȧnt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishȧnt—
2Middle EnglishampteAn ant; a formicid; A mantid
3Old Englishǣmete—
4Proto-West Germanicāmaitijāant
5Proto-West Germanicuʀ-out, over; off, away
6Proto-Germanicuz-up, out
7Proto-Indo-Europeanuss-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanuds-up, out
9Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →Every word from Proto-Indo-European uds- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European uss- →