Where does “sailless” come from?
sailless (English) comes from English sail, from Middle English saile, from Proto-Germanic seglą, from Proto-Germanic siglą.
sailless (English): Lacking a sail
Ancestry of “sailless”, step by step
sailless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | sail | A piece of fabric attached to a boat and arranged... |
| 2 | Middle English | saile | Alternative form of assailen |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | seglą | sheet; sail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | siglą | — |
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |