Where does “girlless” come from?
girlless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
girlless (English): Without a girl or girls
Ancestry of “girlless”, step by step
girlless 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 Girl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Girl | A Chinese constellation located near Aquarius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and part of the Black Turtle |
| 2 | Middle English | girle | Alternative form of gerle |
| 3 | Old English | gyrele | young person |
Words derived from “girlless”