Where does “rightless” come from?

rightless (English) comes from English right, from Middle English right, from Old English riht, from Proto-West Germanic reht, from Proto-Germanic rehtaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵtós, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- — to straighten, to right oneself; right; just.

rightless (English): Lacking rights or privileges

Definitions

  1. Lacking rights or privileges

Ancestry of “rightless”, step by step

rightless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English right

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishrightStraight, not bent; Of an angle, having a size of...
2Middle EnglishrightA good deed, right action; A just or equitable...
3Old Englishrihtstraight; right, true, correct; rightful,...
4Proto-West Germanicrehtstraight; right, correct; morally upright, just
5Proto-Germanicrehtazright, straight; morally upright, just
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵtósstraightened, right, upright
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃reǵ-to straighten, to right oneself; right; just

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 “rightless

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ-