Where does “helples” come from?
helples (Middle English) comes from Old English helplēas, from Proto-Germanic helpōlausaz, from Proto-Germanic -lausaz, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
Ancestry of “helples”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | helplēas | helpless |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | helpōlausaz | helpless |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |