Where does “gagless” come from?

gagless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.

gagless (English): Without jokes; Without gagging

Definitions

  1. Without jokes; Without gagging

Ancestry of “gagless”, step by step

gagless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English gag

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgagA device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the...
2Middle Englishgaggen
Every word from Proto-Germanic *lausEvery word from Old English lēasEvery word from Middle English les