Where does “stepless” come from?

stepless (English) comes from English step, from English stepchild, from Middle English stepchild, from Old English stēopċild, from Old English ċild, from Proto-Germanic kelþaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵelt-, from Proto-Indo-European ǵel- — to swallow; swallow.

stepless (English): Without a step or steps

Definitions

  1. Without a step or steps

Ancestry of “stepless”, step by step

stepless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishstepAn advance or movement made from one foot to the...
2EnglishstepchildThe child of one's spouse but not one's own; A...
3Middle Englishstepchildstepchild child of a spouse
4Old Englishstēopċildstepchild
5Old Englishċildchild, youth; fetus; female baby; child
6Proto-Germanickelþazfetus; newborn; infant; child
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵelt-womb
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

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 “stepless

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel-
stepless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer