Where does “motherless” come from?
Motherless derives from Middle English moderles, Old English mōdorlēas (lacking a mother), from Proto-Germanic mōdērlausaz, combining mōdēr (mother) and lewH- (to loosen or break apart).
motherless (English): Without a mother; Without mother; Without a...
Definitions
- Without a mother; Without mother; Without a...
Ancestry of “motherless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | moderles | motherless |
| 2 | Old English | mōdorlēas | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | mōdērlausaz | without a mother |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |
Words derived from “motherless”