Where does “steplessness” come from?

steplessness (English) comes from English stepless, 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- — to swallow; swallow.

steplessness (English): Absence of steps

Definitions

  1. Absence of steps

Ancestry of “steplessness”, step by step

steplessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English stepless

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsteplessWithout a step or steps
2EnglishstepAn advance or movement made from one foot to the...
3EnglishstepchildThe child of one's spouse but not one's own; A...
4Middle Englishstepchildstepchild child of a spouse
5Old Englishstēopċildstepchild
6Old Englishċildchild, youth; fetus; female baby; child
7Proto-Germanickelþazfetus; newborn; infant; child
8Proto-Indo-Europeanǵelt-womb
9Proto-Indo-Europeanǵel-to swallow; swallow

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵel-