Where does “ruthless” come from?

Ruthless comes from Middle English reuþeles, formed with the Middle English suffix -les (from Old English -lēas), attached to Middle English reuþe (from Latin ruta), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lewH-.

ruthless (English): Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless

Definitions

  1. Without pity or compassion; cruel, pitiless

Ancestry of “ruthless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishreuþelesruthless, cruel
2Middle English-lesLacking (something); without (something)
3Turkish-lewith, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form...
4Turkishilewith; and
5Ottoman Turkishایلهby
6Old Anatolian Turkishاِیلَه—
7Proto-Turkicbilewith, together, also

Words derived from “ruthless”

Every word from Proto-Turkic bile →Every word from Middle English -les →Every word from Turkish -le →
ruthless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer