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

footlooseness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English footloose

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-Helleniclāwóspeople, crowd
9Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂wospeople
10Proto-Indo-Europeanleh₂-to bark, howl; to be concealed

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wosEvery word from Proto-Hellenic lāwós