Where does “helmless” come from?

helmless (English) comes from English helm, from German helm, from Middle High German helm, from Old High German helm, from Proto-West Germanic helm, from Proto-Germanic helmaz, from Proto-Germanic halmaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱolh₂mos — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.

helmless (English): Without a helm

Definitions

  1. Without a helm

Ancestry of “helmless”, step by step

helmless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English helm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhelmThe steering apparatus of a ship, especially the...
2Germanhelmhelmet
3Middle High Germanhelmstalk
4Old High Germanhelmhelmet
5Proto-West Germanichelmhelmet
6Proto-Germanichelmazhelmet
7Proto-Germanichalmazhalm; stem; stalk; straw; hay
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱolh₂mosstalk
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱelh₂-to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab

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

Words derived from “helmless

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱelh₂-