Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fondlesome” come from?

fondlesome (English) comes from English fondle, from English -le, from Middle English -el, from Old French -el, from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

fondlesome (English): Characterised or marked by fondling

Definitions

  1. Characterised or marked by fondling

Ancestry of “fondlesome”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfondleTo touch or stroke lovingly; To grasp
2English-leA frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating...
3Middle English-el—
4Old French-elSuffix that usually denotes a masculine noun
5Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
6Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
7Proto-Italic-olos—
8Proto-Italic-elos—
9Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
10Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →