Where does “fruitless” come from?
Fruitless comes from Middle English frute, from Old French fruit, from Latin fructus meaning "produce of the earth," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰruHg- meaning "to break or crack."
fruitless (English): Bearing no fruit; barren; Unproductive, useless;...
Definitions
- Bearing no fruit; barren; Unproductive, useless;...
Ancestry of “fruitless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fruytles | fruitless [[bear#Verb |
| 2 | Middle English | fruyt | Alternative form of frute |
| 3 | Old French | fruit | fruit |
| 4 | Latin | frūctus | enjoyed; having derived pleasure from |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | δῶρον | gift; hand's width |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | dṓron | gift |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | déh₃rom | gift |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₃- | to give |