Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “footlooseness” come from?

footlooseness (English) comes from English footloose, from English loose, from English lose, from German Nikolaus, from Latin Nīcolāus, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós — to bark, howl; to be concealed.

footlooseness (English): The characteristic of being footloose

Definitions

  1. The characteristic of being footloose

Ancestry of “footlooseness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfootlooseTending to travel or do as one pleases; readily...
2EnglishlooseTo let loose, to free from restraints; To...
3EnglishloseTo cause to cease to be in one's possession or...
4GermanNikolausa representation of St. Nicholas; the day of 6th...
5LatinNīcolāus—
6Ancient GreekΝικόλαοςNicolas
7Ancient Greekλᾱόςpeople; men; the people
8Proto-Helleniclāwós—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂wospeople
10Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂-to bark, howl; to be concealed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₂- →