Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bassless” come from?

bassless (English) comes from English bass, from Middle English bace, from Middle English bars, from Old English bærs, from Proto-West Germanic bars, from Proto-Germanic barsaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰórsos, from Proto-Indo-European bʰers- — top, tip, point.

bassless (English): Lacking a bass

Definitions

  1. Lacking a bass

Ancestry of “bassless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbassOf sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch...
2Middle Englishbacebass; Alternative form of bas; Alternative form...
3Middle EnglishbarsAlternative form of bace
4Old Englishbærsa fish, perch
5Proto-West Germanicbarsperch
6Proto-Germanicbarsazperch
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰórsosprickle, thorn, scale; pointy, prickly
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰers-top, tip, point
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰers- →