Where does “prickleless” come from?

prickleless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.

prickleless (English): Without prickles

Definitions

  1. Without prickles

Ancestry of “prickleless”, step by step

prickleless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus

via English prickle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishprickleA small, sharp pointed object, such as a thorn; A...
Every word from Proto-Germanic *lausEvery word from Old English lēasEvery word from Middle English les