Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blameless” come from?

Blameless comes from Middle English blameles, formed with the Old English suffix -lēas (meaning "without") added to a stem ultimately derived from Ancient Greek βλασφημέω.

blameless (English): Free from blame; without fault; innocent; Not...

Definitions

  1. Free from blame; without fault; innocent; Not...

Ancestry of “blameless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishblamelesblameless, innocent; perfect, faultless
2Middle Englishblamento criticise, censure; to reprove, reprimand; to...
3Old Frenchblasmerto blame
4Latinblastēmāre—
5Ancient GreekβλασφημέωI speak profanely of sacred things, blaspheme; I...
6Ancient Greekβλάσφημοςuttering ill-omened words; jinx; reviling,...
7Ancient Greekφήμηprophetic voice, oracle; rumor; reputation
8Proto-Hellenicpʰā́mā—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂-meh₂—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂-to shine, glow light; to speak, say
11Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeh₂-s-ri-—

Words derived from “blameless”

  • blamelessness
  • blamelessly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeh₂-s-ri- →