Where does “bottomless” come from?
Bottomless derives from Middle English botmeles, composed of Middle English bot (bottom) from Old English botm and the suffix Middle English -les from Old English -lēas (lacking), which traces to Proto-Indo-European lewH- (to leave, abandon).
bottomless (English): Having no bottom; Extremely deep; Having no...
Definitions
- Having no bottom; Extremely deep; Having no...
Ancestry of “bottomless”, step by step
bottomless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bottom
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bottom | The lowest part of anything; Character,... |
| 2 | Middle English | botme | The lowest section of something; the bottom,... |
| 3 | Old English | botm | bottom; foundation; ground; abyss |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | butmaz | bottom; foundation; ground; abyss |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via Middle English botemles
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | botemles | Lacking a bottom; bottomless; Meaningless,... |
| 2 | Middle English | -les | Lacking (something); without (something) |
| 3 | Turkish | -le | with, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form... |
| 4 | Turkish | ile | with; and |
| 5 | Ottoman Turkish | ایله | by |
| 6 | Old Anatolian Turkish | اِیلَه | — |
| 7 | Proto-Turkic | bile | with, together, also |