Where does “shankless” come from?

shankless (English) comes from English shank, from Middle English schanke, from Middle High German schenken, from Old High German scenken, from Proto-West Germanic skankijan, from Proto-Germanic skankijaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kenǵ- — to limp.

shankless (English): Lacking a shank

Definitions

  1. Lacking a shank

Ancestry of “shankless”, step by step

shankless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shank

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshankThe part of the leg between the knee and the...
2Middle Englishschankeleg, limb; shank, shin; leg fur
3Middle High Germanschenken
4Old High Germanscenkento pur in, give drink to, water
5Proto-West Germanicskankijanto pour
6Proto-Germanicskankijanąto skew, tilt, tip; to pour
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kenǵ-to limp

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kenǵ-