Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “dowerless” come from?

dowerless (English) comes from English dower, from Middle English dower, from Old French doeire, from Medieval Latin dotarium, from Latin dōs, from Proto-Italic dōtis, from Proto-Indo-European déh₃tis, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.

dowerless (English): Lacking a dowry

Definitions

  1. Lacking a dowry

Ancestry of “dowerless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdowerThe part of or interest in a deceased husband's...
2Middle EnglishdowerA dower; a life estate of a male spouse's...
3Old Frenchdoeiredowry
4Medieval Latindotarium—
5Latindōs—
6Proto-Italicdōtis—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandéh₃tisgiving
8Proto-Indo-European-tisDerives abstract/action nouns from verb roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tis →