Where does “useless” come from?
Useless derives from Middle English -les added to use, which comes from Old English -lēas meaning "without," combined with usus from Latin uti meaning "to use," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃eyt-.
useless (English): Without use or possibility to be used; Unhelpful,...
Definitions
- Without use or possibility to be used; Unhelpful,...
Ancestry of “useless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | use | The act of using; The act of consuming alcohol or... |
| 2 | Middle English | use | — |
| 3 | Old French | us | tradition or custom |
| 4 | Latin | ūsus | use, employment, exercise, advantage |
| 5 | Latin | ūtor | to use, make use of, employ |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | *ǫtorъ | croze |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | torъ | paddock, pen |
| 8 | Proto-Slavic | terti | to rub, to scrape; to polish |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |