Etymology Explorer › English

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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishspiteIll will or hatred toward another, accompanied...
2Middle Englishspit—
3Middle Englishdespit—
4Old Frenchdespit—
5Latindēspectus—
6Latindēspiciō—
7Latindē-—
8Latindē—
9Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
10Latinposteablative singular of postis
11Proto-Italicposti—
12Proto-Indo-Europeanpósti—
13Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at

Words derived from “spiteless”

  • spitelessly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pós →