Where does “rackless” come from?

rackless (English) comes from English rack, from Old English reċċan, from Proto-West Germanic rakkjan, from Proto-Germanic rakjaną, from Proto-Indo-European h₃roǵéyeti, from Proto-Indo-European -éyeti, from Proto-Indo-European -yeti — Creates transitive imperfective verbs from roots.

rackless (English): heedless, regardless, careless; Without a rack

Definitions

  1. heedless, regardless, careless; Without a rack

Ancestry of “rackless”, step by step

rackless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English rack

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrackA series of one or more shelves, stacked one...
2Old Englishreċċanto stretch, extend; to stretch out, extend
3Proto-West Germanicrakkjanto stretch, to straighten
4Proto-Germanicrakjanąto stretch, to straighten
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃roǵéyetito straighten, to make straight, to cause to be...
6Proto-Indo-European-éyetiForms causative imperfective verbs from roots;...
7Proto-Indo-European-yetiCreates transitive imperfective verbs from roots

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yetiEvery word from Proto-Indo-European -éyetiEvery word from Proto-Indo-European h₃roǵéyeti