Where does “riskless” come from?
Riskless derives from English risk, which comes from Middle French risque, Italian risco and rischio, ultimately from Latin roots in -alis and -aris.
riskless (English): Free of risk; safe
Ancestry of “riskless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | risk | A possible adverse event or outcome; The... |
| 2 | English | risqué | Suggestive of sexual impropriety; bordering on... |
| 3 | French | risqué | risky; risque, risqué; past participle of risquer |
| 4 | Middle French | risque | — |
| 5 | Italian | rischiare | to risk, take the plunge |
| 6 | Italian | -are | Used, with a stem, to form the infinitive of most... |
| 7 | Latin | -ō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ō | Derives nouns from roots |