Where does “reckless” come from?
Reckless derives from Old English receleas, formed from Old English rec- (care) combined with Old English -lēas (suffix meaning without), which traces through Old English lēas to Proto-Germanic lausaz and Proto-Indo-European reǵ-.
reckless (English): Careless or heedless; headstrong or rash;...
Definitions
- Careless or heedless; headstrong or rash;...
Ancestry of “reckless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | rekles | — |
| 2 | Old English | rēcelēas | reckless, careless, negligent |
| 3 | Old English | -lēas | -less |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *-laus | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |
Words derived from “reckless”