Where does “trunklessness” come from?

trunklessness (English) comes from English trunkless, from English trunk, from Middle English tronke, from Old French tronc, from Latin truncus, from Proto-Indo-European twerḱ- — to carve, cut off, trim.

trunklessness (English): Absence of a trunk

Definitions

  1. Absence of a trunk

Ancestry of “trunklessness”, step by step

trunklessness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English trunkless

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtrunklessWithout a trunk
2Englishtrunk"Part of a body."; "A container."; "A channel for...
3Middle EnglishtronkeA large chest or storage container; A container...
4Old Frenchtroncalms box, tree trunk, headless body; trunk
5Latintruncuslopped, docked; maimed, mangled, mutilated; A...
6Proto-Indo-Europeantwerḱ-to carve, cut off, trim

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 twerḱ-
trunklessness — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer