Where does “lanceless” come from?

lanceless (English) comes from English Lance, from English launce, from Old French lance, from Latin lancea, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₂k- — to beat, strike; to strike, fast; to beat, hit,...

lanceless (English): Without a lance

Definitions

  1. Without a lance

Ancestry of “lanceless”, step by step

lanceless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Lance

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLanceby folk etymology associated with a lance
2EnglishlaunceObsolete form of lance; sand eel, sand lance,...
3Old Frenchlancelance weapon
4Latinlanceathe Roman auxiliaries' short javelin; a light...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₂k-to beat, strike; to strike, fast; to beat, hit,...

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 pleh₂k-