Where does “groveless” come from?
groveless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
groveless (English): Without a grove or groves
Definitions
- Without a grove or groves
Ancestry of “groveless”, step by step
groveless 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 grove
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | grove | A small forest; An orchard of fruit trees; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | grove | grove small forest |
| 3 | Old English | grāf | grove |