Where does “sootless” come from?
sootless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
sootless (English): Without soot
Ancestry of “sootless”, step by step
sootless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 | — |
via English soot
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | soot | Fine black or dull brown particles of amorphous... |
| 2 | Middle English | soot | Alternative form of swete; soot |
| 3 | Old English | swōt | sweet |
Words derived from “sootless”