Where does “top-hatless” come from?
top-hatless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.
top-hatless (English): Without a top hat
Definitions
- Without a top hat
Ancestry of “top-hatless”, step by step
top-hatless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English less
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | less | To a smaller extent or degree; comparative form... |
| 2 | Middle English | les | false; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie |
| 3 | Old English | lēas | false, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *laus | — |
via English top hat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | top hat | A man's formal hat, with a tall cylindrical... |