Where does “valueless” come from?
Valueless derives from English value with the suffix -les, from Old English -lēas meaning "without," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- meaning "to be strong."
valueless (English): Having no value; worthless
Definitions
- Having no value; worthless
Ancestry of “valueless”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | value | The quality that renders something desirable or... |
| 2 | Middle English | valew | — |
| 3 | Old French | value | — |
| 4 | Old French | valoir | to have value; to be worth |
| 5 | Latin | valeō | to have strength, influence, power; to avail |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | walēō | to be strong |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wl̥h₁éh₁yeti | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂welh₁- | to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool |