Where does “helpless” come from?
Helpless derives from Middle English helples, from Old English helplēas, from Proto-Germanic helpōlausaz, formed from helpō and the suffix meaning without, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱelb-.
helpless (English): Unable to defend oneself; Lacking help;...
Definitions
- Unable to defend oneself; Lacking help;...
Ancestry of “helpless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | helples | — |
| 2 | Old English | helplēas | helpless |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | helpōlausaz | helpless |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |
Words derived from “helpless”