Where does “shieldless” come from?

shieldless (English) comes from English shield, from Middle English scheld, from Old English sċield, from Proto-West Germanic skeldu, from Proto-Germanic skelduz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)keit-.

shieldless (English): Without a shield

Definitions

  1. Without a shield

Ancestry of “shieldless”, step by step

shieldless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English shield

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishshieldAnything that protects or defends; defense;...
2Middle EnglishscheldA shield; An object that resembles a shield; Any...
3Old Englishsċieldshield
4Proto-West Germanicskeldushield
5Proto-Germanicskelduzshield
6Proto-Indo-European(s)keit-—

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)keit- →