Where does “playerless” come from?
playerless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
playerless (English): Without a player
Ancestry of “playerless”, step by step
playerless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |
via English player
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | player | One that plays; One who is playful; one without... |
| 2 | Middle English | pleyer | One who makes entertainment for themselves; One... |
| 3 | Old English | pleġere | player, athlete, wrestler |