Where does “homeless” come from?
Homeless comes from Middle English homles, from Old English hāmlēas, a compound of hām (home) and lēas (lacking).
homeless (English): Lacking a permanent place of residence
Definitions
- Lacking a permanent place of residence
Ancestry of “homeless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | homles | — |
| 2 | Old English | hāmlēas | homeless |
| 3 | Old English | hām | home; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |