Where does “spiteless” come from?

spiteless (English) comes from English spite, from Middle English spit, from Middle English despit, from Old French despit, from Latin dēspectus, from Latin dēspiciō, from Latin dē-, from Latin dē — afterwards, post; by, at.

spiteless (English): Free from spite

Definitions

  1. Free from spite

Ancestry of “spiteless”, step by step

spiteless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English spite

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspiteIll will or hatred toward another, accompanied...
2Middle Englishspit—
3Middle Englishdespit—
4Old Frenchdespit—
5Latindēspectusdisdained, despised
6Latindēspiciōto look down upon
7Latindē-of; from
8Latindēof; concerning; about
9Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
10Latinposteablative singular of postis
11Proto-Italicpostibehind, after
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpóstiafter
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

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—

Words derived from “spiteless”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →Every word from Latin dē- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European pósti →