Where does “necklessness” come from?
necklessness (English) comes from English neckless, from English neck, from Middle English nekke, from Old English hnecca, from Proto-West Germanic *hnakkō, from Proto-Germanic hnakkô, from Proto-Indo-European knog-, from Proto-Indo-European ken- — to arise, begin.
necklessness (English): The absence of a neck
Definitions
- The absence of a neck
Ancestry of “necklessness”, step by step
necklessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English neckless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | neckless | Without a neck |
| 2 | English | neck | The part of the body connecting the head and the... |
| 3 | Middle English | nekke | neck |
| 4 | Old English | hnecca | back of the neck; back of the head; neck |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *hnakkō | nape |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hnakkô | the back of the neck; nape |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | knog- | back of the head, nape, neck |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ken- | to arise, begin |
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 |