Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “noiselessly” come from?

Noiselessly derives from English noiseless, combining English noise from Old English -līċ and Old English -lēas meaning without, ultimately tracing to Latin nausea and Proto-Indo-European roots.

noiselessly (English): In a quiet manner, without any noise

Definitions

  1. In a quiet manner, without any noise

Ancestry of “noiselessly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishnoiselessProducing no noise; without noise
2EnglishnoiseVarious sounds, usually unwanted or unpleasant;...
3Middle Englishnoyse—
4Old Frenchnoisedispute, argument; noise, sound
5Latinnauseanausea; seasickness; second-person singular...
6Ancient Greekναυσίαnausea, seasickness
7Ancient Greekναῦςa ship
8Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂usboat
9Proto-Indo-European(s)neh₂-to swim; to float
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)neh₂- →