Where does “raftless” come from?
raftless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
raftless (English): Without a raft
Ancestry of “raftless”, step by step
raftless 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 raft
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | raft | A flat-bottomed craft able to float and drift on... |
| 2 | English | raff | A promiscuous heap; a jumble; a large quantity;... |
| 3 | Middle English | raf | Alternative form of reif |
| 4 | Old French | raffer | to wear away |