Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mortarless” come from?

mortarless (English) comes from English mortar, from Middle English morter, from Old French mortier, from Latin mortarium, from Proto-Indo-European mer- — to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland.

mortarless (English): Without mortar

Definitions

  1. Without mortar

Ancestry of “mortarless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmortarA mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used...
2Middle EnglishmorterA mortar; Grout or mortar; A bowl with fuel...
3Old Frenchmortier—
4Latinmortariummortar; large basin in which mortar is made
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmer-to die; to disappear; sea, lake, wetland
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mer- →