Where does “witless” come from?

Witless derives from Middle English witles, from Old English witlēas, from Proto-Germanic witjalausaz, meaning lacking wit or understanding.

witless (English): Lacking wit or understanding; indiscreet; not...

Definitions

  1. Lacking wit or understanding; indiscreet; not...

Ancestry of “witless”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishwitles—
2Old Englishwitlēassenseless; witless
3Proto-Germanicwitjalausazwitless

Words derived from “witless”

Every word from Proto-Germanic witjalausaz →Every word from Old English witlēas →Every word from Middle English witles →