Where does “meaningless” come from?
Meaningless derives from English meaning plus the suffix -less, with meaning itself from Middle English meninge, Old English mæning (intention, sense), Latin medianus (middle), Latin medius (middle), Latin minae (threats), and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm (together).
meaningless (English): Lacking meaning; Insignificant; not worthy of...
Definitions
- Lacking meaning; Insignificant; not worthy of...
Ancestry of “meaningless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | meaning | The denotation, referent, or idea connected with... |
| 2 | English | -ing | Used to form gerunds, a type of verbal nouns,... |
| 3 | Old English | -ing | Forming nouns from verbs, indicating action,... |
| 4 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |