Where does “splintless” come from?

splintless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.

splintless (English): Without a splint

Definitions

  1. Without a splint

Ancestry of “splintless”, step by step

splintless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English splint

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsplintA narrow strip of wood split or peeled from a...
2Middle Englishsplint
3Middle Low Germansplinte
4Proto-Germanic*splintǭ
Every word from Proto-Germanic *lausEvery word from Old English lēasEvery word from Middle English les
splintless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer