Where does “noiseless” come from?
Noiseless derives from Middle English -les and Old English -lēas, both meaning "without," combined with noise, which comes from Latin nausea, Ancient Greek ναυσία, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots relating to discomfort or sickness.
noiseless (English): Producing no noise; without noise
Definitions
- Producing no noise; without noise
Ancestry of “noiseless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | noise | Various sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant;... |
| 2 | Middle English | noyse | — |
| 3 | Old French | noise | dispute, argument; noise, sound |
| 4 | Latin | nausea | nausea; seasickness; second-person singular... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ναυσία | nausea, seasickness |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ναῦς | a ship |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂us | boat |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)neh₂- | to swim; to float |
Words derived from “noiseless”