Where does “citylessness” come from?

citylessness (English) comes from English cityless, from English city, from Middle English cite, from Old French citet, from Latin cīvitās, from Proto-Italic keiwis, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.

citylessness (English): Absence of cities

Definitions

  1. Absence of cities

Ancestry of “citylessness”, step by step

citylessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English cityless

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcitylessWithout a city or cities
2EnglishcityA large settlement, bigger than a town; sometimes...
3Middle Englishcitecity
4Old FrenchcitetAlternative form of cité
5Latincīvitās
6Proto-Italickeiwissociety; citizen
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn 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
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-