Where does “ratlessness” come from?
ratlessness (English) comes from English ratless, from English rat, from Middle English raat, from Old English ræt, from Old English rætt, from Proto-Germanic rattaz, from Proto-Indo-European Hreh₃d- — to scrape.
ratlessness (English): Absence of rats
Definitions
- Absence of rats
Ancestry of “ratlessness”, step by step
ratlessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ratless
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ratless | Without rats |
| 2 | English | rat | A medium-sized rodent belonging to the genus... |
| 3 | Middle English | raat | Alternative form of ratte |
| 4 | Old English | ræt | Alternative form of rætt |
| 5 | Old English | rætt | rat |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | rattaz | rat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreh₃d- | to scrape |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An 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 |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |