Where does “crankless” come from?

crankless (English) comes from English crank, from Middle Low German krank, from Old Saxon krank, from Proto-West Germanic krank, from Proto-Germanic krankaz, from Proto-Indo-European ger- — to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

crankless (English): Without a crank mechanical component

Definitions

  1. Without a crank mechanical component

Ancestry of “crankless”, step by step

crankless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English crank

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishcrankStrange, weird, odd; Sick; unwell; Liable to...
2Middle Low Germankrank
3Old Saxonkrank
4Proto-West Germanickrankweak, sick
5Proto-Germanickrankazbent; crooked; weak
6Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger-Every word from Proto-Germanic krankazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic krank