Where does “less” come from?
less (Polish) comes from German Löss, from Alemannic German lösch, from Old High German lōs, from Proto-West Germanic laus, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
less (Polish): loess
Ancestry of “less”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Löss | loess |
| 2 | Alemannic German | lösch | loose; mild |
| 3 | Old High German | lōs | loose; free; lacking; sly, deceitful |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | laus | loose, free |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |