Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tearlessly” come from?

tearlessly (English) comes from English tearless, from English tear, from Middle English tear, from Old English teagor, from Proto-West Germanic tah(h)r, from Proto-Germanic tahrą, from Proto-Indo-European dáḱru-, from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- — eye bitter.

tearlessly (English): In a tearless way; without tears

Definitions

  1. In a tearless way; without tears

Ancestry of “tearlessly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtearlessWithout tears
2EnglishtearTo rend by holding or restraining in two places...
3Middle EnglishtearAlternative form of tere
4Old Englishteagor—
5Proto-West Germanictah(h)rtear
6Proto-Germanictahrątear
7Proto-Indo-Europeandáḱru-tears; tear
8Proto-Indo-Europeandr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru-eye bitter
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- →