Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “speedless” come from?

speedless (English) comes from English Speed, from Middle English sped, from Old English spēd, from Proto-West Germanic spōdi, from Proto-West Germanic spōan, from Proto-Germanic spōaną, from Proto-Indo-European spéh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- — to succeed, to prosper.

speedless (English): Lacking success or prosperity; not prosperous;...

Definitions

  1. Lacking success or prosperity; not prosperous;...

Ancestry of “speedless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishSpeed—
2Middle Englishspedgood fortune
3Old Englishspēdsuccess; luck, prosperity, success
4Proto-West Germanicspōdihurry, rush; success, prosperity
5Proto-West Germanicspōanto succeed, prosper
6Proto-Germanicspōanąto prosper, succeed, be happy
7Proto-Indo-Europeanspéh₁-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanspeh₁-to succeed, to prosper
Every word from Proto-Indo-European speh₁- →