Where does “minkless” come from?
minkless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
minkless (English): Without mink or minks
Ancestry of “minkless”, step by step
minkless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |
via English mink
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | mink | Any of various semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals... |
| 2 | Swedish | mink | American mink |
| 3 | Middle Low German | mink | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | mink | — |