Where does “moonless” come from?

Moonless derives from Middle English mone combined with Old English -lēas, tracing through Proto-Germanic mēnô and ultimately to Proto-Indo-European mḗh₁n̥s, related to the root men- meaning to measure.

moonless (English): During which no phase of the Moon is visible to...

Definitions

  1. During which no phase of the Moon is visible to...

Ancestry of “moonless”, step by step

moonless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Moon

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMoonThe Earth's moon; the sole natural satellite of the Earth, represented in astronomy and astrology by ☾
2Middle EnglishMoneA lamentation; a sorrowful moan or expression
3Old Englishmānbad, criminal, false; shameful act; crime;...
4Sanskritमहादेवthe "great God"
5Sanskritमहाcombining form of महत्; buffalo; great, large,...
6Proto-Indo-Aryanmaźʰā́
7Proto-Indo-Iranianmaȷ́ʰā́big, great
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

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

Words derived from “moonless

Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s
moonless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer