Where does “-lēas” come from?
-lēas (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *-laus, from Proto-Germanic -lausaz, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
-lēas (Old English): -less
Ancestry of “-lēas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | *-laus | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |
Words derived from “-lēas”