Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “colorless” come from?

Colorless derives from Middle English -les, Old English -lēas, and Latin color, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- meaning to conceal or hide.

colorless (English): US standard spelling of colourless

Definitions

  1. US standard spelling of colourless

Ancestry of “colorless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcolorThe spectral composition of visible light; A...
2Frenchcouleurcolor, colour; a flush; suit
3Italiancolorecolor, colour; hue; pip
4Polishkolorcolour; suit; flush
5Latincolorcolour, shade; color; pigment; complexion
6Ancient Greekμέτρονsomething used to measure: measure, rule, weight;...
7Ancient Greek-τρονForms instrument nouns
8Proto-Hellenic-tronForms instrument nouns from verb stems
9Proto-Indo-European-tromForms nouns denoting a tool or instrument
10Proto-Indo-European-tḗrDerives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone...

Words derived from “colorless”

  • colorlessness
  • colorlessly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tḗr →