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
Ancestry of “tearless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | tear | To rend by holding or restraining in two places... |
| 2 | Middle English | tear | Alternative form of tere |
| 3 | Old English | teagor | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | tah(h)r | tear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tahrą | tear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |
Words derived from “tearless”