Where does “cliqueless” come from?
cliqueless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
cliqueless (English): Without a clique
Ancestry of “cliqueless”, step by step
cliqueless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |
via English clique
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | clique | A small, exclusive group of individuals, usually... |
| 2 | French | clique | clique; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 3 | Old French | cliquer | to click, clack, sound, resound |