Where does “yakless” come from?

yakless (English) comes from English less, from Middle English les, from Old English lēas, from Proto-Germanic *laus.

yakless (English): Without a yak or yaks

Definitions

  1. Without a yak or yaks

Ancestry of “yakless”, step by step

yakless traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English less

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlessTo a smaller extent or degree; comparative form...
2Middle Englishlesfalse; lying; deceptive; falsehood; a lie
3Old Englishlēasfalse, lax; false, void, loose; devoid of, loose...
4Proto-Germanic*laus

via English yak

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishyakAn ox-like mammal native to the Himalayas,...
2Koreandrug; medicine; approximately; about; an ancient...
3Japaneserole, service, use; hand, scoring combination;...
4Middle Chinese
Every word from Proto-Germanic *lausEvery word from Old English lēasEvery word from Middle English les
yakless — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer