Where does “pithlessness” come from?
pithlessness (English) comes from English pithless, from English pith, from English helmet, from Middle English helmet, from Old French helmet, from Old French helme, from Medieval Latin helmus, from Frankish helm — to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab.
pithlessness (English): Absence of pith
Definitions
- Absence of pith
Ancestry of “pithlessness”, step by step
pithlessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pithless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pithless | Lacking strength or pith; weak; Not cogent |
| 2 | English | pith | The soft, spongy substance in the center of the... |
| 3 | English | helmet | A protective head covering, usually part of... |
| 4 | Middle English | helmet | A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear |
| 5 | Old French | helmet | — |
| 6 | Old French | helme | helmet |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | helmus | helmet |
| 8 | Frankish | helm | helmet |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |
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 |