Where does “fledgeless” come from?

fledgeless (English) comes from English fledge, from Middle English flegge, from Old English flyċġe, from Proto-West Germanic *flugi, from Proto-Germanic flugjaz, from Proto-Indo-European plewk-, from Proto-Indo-European plew- — to fly, flow, run.

fledgeless (English): Of a bird, that has not fledged

Definitions

  1. Of a bird, that has not fledged

Ancestry of “fledgeless”, step by step

fledgeless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English fledge

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfledgeTo care for a young bird until it is capable of...
2Middle EnglishfleggeAble to fly; feathered, fledged
3Old Englishflyċġeable to fly, fledged
4Proto-West Germanic*flugifledged, feathered
5Proto-Germanicflugjazable to fly, fledged
6Proto-Indo-Europeanplewk-to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands
7Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

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 plew-Every word from Proto-Indo-European plewk-Every word from Proto-Germanic flugjaz
fledgeless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer