Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “offenceless” come from?

offenceless (English) comes from English offence, from Old French offense, from Latin offēnsā, from Latin offenso, from Latin offendō, from Latin ob-, from Latin obolus, from Ancient Greek ὀβολός — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.

offenceless (English): Alternative form of offenseless

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of offenseless

Ancestry of “offenceless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoffenceBritain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada...
2Old Frenchoffense—
3Latinoffēnsā—
4LatinoffensoI strike or dash against; I falter, stumble over...
5Latinoffendō—
6Latinob-towards; against
7Latinobolusobolus
8Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
9Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
10Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
12Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →