Where does “ribless” come from?

ribless (English) comes from English RIB, from Middle English rib, from Old English ribb, from Proto-West Germanic ribb, from Proto-Germanic ribją, from Proto-Indo-European h₁rebʰ- — to cover, to roof; rib.

ribless (English): Lacking ribs

Definitions

  1. Lacking ribs

Ancestry of “ribless”, step by step

ribless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English RIB

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishRIBRigid inflatable boat — A lightweight inflatable...
2Middle Englishrib—
3Old Englishribbrib
4Proto-West Germanicribb—
5Proto-Germanicribjąrib; reef, ridge
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁rebʰ-to cover, to roof; rib

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—

Words derived from “ribless”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁rebʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic ribją →Every word from Proto-West Germanic ribb →