Where does “grubless” come from?
grubless (English) comes from English grub, from Old English grubbian, from Proto-Germanic grubb-, from Proto-Germanic grub- — to dig.
grubless (English): Without grubs
Ancestry of “grubless”, step by step
grubless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English grub
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | grub | An immature stage in the life cycle of an insect;... |
| 2 | Old English | grubbian | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | grubb- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | grub- | to dig |
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 | — |