Where does “spireless” come from?
spireless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
spireless (English): Without a spire
Ancestry of “spireless”, step by step
spireless 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 spire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | spire | The stalk or stem of a plant; A young shoot of a... |
| 2 | Middle English | spire | Alternative form of spere |
| 3 | Old English | spīr | spire stalk of a plant |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | spīrō | peak; summit; top |