Where does “relentless” come from?
Relentless comes from English relent plus the suffix -les from Middle English, derived from Old English -lēas meaning without, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- meaning to turn or bend.
relentless (English): Unrelenting or unyielding in severity;...
Definitions
- Unrelenting or unyielding in severity;...
Ancestry of “relentless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | relent | Stay; stop; delay; A relenting; To become less... |
| 2 | Middle English | relenten | To become more fluidous or dissolved; to melt; To... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | relentir | to relent |
| 4 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 5 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 6 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |