Where does “downless” come from?

downless (English) comes from English Down, from Middle English doun, from Old English dūn, from Proto-Germanic *dūnā, from Proto-Celtic dūnom, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.

downless (English): Of a bird, lacking down feathers

Definitions

  1. Of a bird, lacking down feathers

Ancestry of “downless”, step by step

downless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Down

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishDownusually known as County Down
2Middle Englishdoundown
3Old Englishdūnhill, down; hill, dune; hill, mountain
4Proto-Germanic*dūnā—
5Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

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 dʰewh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnom →Every word from Proto-Germanic *dūnā →