Where does “priestlessness” come from?

priestlessness (English) comes from English priestless, from English priest, from Middle English prest, from Old French prest, from Latin pressus, from Latin premere, from Latin premo, from Proto-Indo-European pres- — passed , crossed.

priestlessness (English): Absence of priests

Definitions

  1. Absence of priests

Ancestry of “priestlessness”, step by step

priestlessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English priestless

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpriestlessWithout a priest or priests
2Englishpriesta religious clergyman who is trained to perform...
3Middle Englishprestloan, borrowing; tax, fee, levy; advance payment
4Old Frenchprestloan; monetary gift
5Latinpressuspressed, having been pressed, squeezed;...
6Latinpremeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7LatinpremoI press; I pursue
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpres-to press
9Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn 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
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós
priestlessness — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer