Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fencelessness” come from?

fencelessness (English) comes from English fenceless, from English fence, from Middle English fence, from Middle English defence, from Old French defens, from Late Latin defensa, from Latin defensus, from Latin dēfendō — afterwards, post; by, at.

fencelessness (English): Lack of fences

Definitions

  1. Lack of fences

Ancestry of “fencelessness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfencelessWithout a fence; unfenced
2EnglishfenceA thin artificial barrier that separates two...
3Middle Englishfence—
4Middle Englishdefence—
5Old Frenchdefens—
6Late Latindefensaprotection; bounded, defended; defence
7Latindefensusdriven away, having been driven away; defended,...
8Latindēfendō—
9Latindē-—
10Latindē—
11Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
12Latinposteablative singular of postis
13Proto-Italicposti—
14Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
15Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →