Where does “tearless” come from?

Tearless comes from Middle English -les and -en, derived from Proto-Indo-European dóru meaning wood or tree, with the root der- indicating splitting or tearing.

tearless (English): Without tears

Definitions

  1. Without tears

Ancestry of “tearless”, step by step

tearless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English tear

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtearTo rend by holding or restraining in two places...
2Middle EnglishtearAlternative form of tere
3Old Englishteagor—
4Proto-West Germanictah(h)rtear
5Proto-Germanictahrątear
6Proto-Indo-Europeandáḱru-tears; tear
7Proto-Indo-Europeandr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru-eye bitter

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 “tearless”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- →