Where does “meanlessness” come from?
meanlessness (English) comes from English meanless, from English mean, from Middle English menen, from Old French mener, from Latin minō, from Latin mina, from Gaulish mēnā, from Proto-Celtic *meinis — to cut, hew.
meanlessness (English): Meaninglessness
Definitions
- Meaninglessness
Ancestry of “meanlessness”, step by step
meanlessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English meanless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | meanless | Meaningless, lacking meaning; Having no mean, or... |
| 2 | English | mean | To intend |
| 3 | Middle English | menen | to intend, to mean to indicate or signify; to... |
| 4 | Old French | mener | to lead |
| 5 | Latin | minō | to drive or goad (animals) |
| 6 | Latin | mina | A Greek weight equal to 100 drachmas; A Greek... |
| 7 | Gaulish | mēnā | ore, mine |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | *meinis | ore, metal |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy(H)nis | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mēy(H)- | to cut, hew |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |