Where does “brieflessness” come from?
brieflessness (English) comes from English briefless, from English brief, from Middle English bref, from Old French brief, from Latin brevis, from Proto-Italic *breɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus, from Proto-Indo-European mreǵʰ- — short.
brieflessness (English): Absence of a legal brief
Definitions
- Absence of a legal brief
Ancestry of “brieflessness”, step by step
brieflessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English briefless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | briefless | Lacking briefs |
| 2 | English | brief | Of short duration; happening quickly; Concise;... |
| 3 | Middle English | bref | concise; brief; diminutive, little |
| 4 | Old French | brief | brief, short in length; letter or statement |
| 5 | Latin | brevis | short, small, little, narrow; brief, short;... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *breɣʷis | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mréǵʰus | short; brief |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mreǵʰ- | short |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |