Where does “starchless” come from?

starchless (English) comes from English starch, from Middle English starche, from Middle English sterch, from Middle English stark, from Old English stearc, from Proto-West Germanic stark, from Proto-Germanic starkaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)terg- — to be stiff; rigid; rigid, stiff.

starchless (English): Without starch

Definitions

  1. Without starch

Ancestry of “starchless”, step by step

starchless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English starch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstarchA widely diffused vegetable substance found...
2Middle Englishstarche
3Middle Englishsterchstiff
4Middle Englishstark
5Old Englishstearcsevere, stern, harsh; stiff, rigid, not bending,...
6Proto-West Germanicstarkstiff, stark
7Proto-Germanicstarkaz
8Proto-Indo-European(s)terg-to be stiff; rigid; rigid, stiff

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 “starchless

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)terg-
starchless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer