Where does “henless” come from?

henless (English) comes from English hen, from Middle English hen, from Old English henn, from Proto-West Germanic *hannju, from Proto-Germanic hanjō, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂n- — to sing.

henless (English): Without a hen

Definitions

  1. Without a hen

Ancestry of “henless”, step by step

henless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English hen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhenA female chicken (Gallus gallus), especially a sexually mature one kept for her eggs
2Middle Englishhenhen, chicken; female bird
3Old Englishhennhen
4Proto-West Germanic*hannjuhen
5Proto-Germanichanjōhen
6Proto-Indo-Europeankeh₂n-to sing

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—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European keh₂n- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hanjō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *hannju →