Where does “garterless” come from?
garterless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
garterless (English): Without a garter
Ancestry of “garterless”, step by step
garterless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |
via English garter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | garter | A band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or... |
| 2 | Old French | gartier | — |