Where does “farthingless” come from?
farthingless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
farthingless (English): Without a farthing; very poor
Definitions
- Without a farthing; very poor
Ancestry of “farthingless”, step by step
farthingless 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 farthing
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | farthing | Former British unit of currency worth one-quarter... |
| 2 | Middle English | ferthing | A farthing or similar small coin; the weight of... |
| 3 | Old English | feorðing | — |