Where does “-less” come from?
-less (Scots) comes from Middle English -les, from Turkish -le, from Turkish ile, from Ottoman Turkish ایله, from Old Anatolian Turkish اِیلَه, from Proto-Turkic bile — with, together, also.
-less (Scots): -less
Ancestry of “-less”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | -les | Lacking ; without |
| 2 | Turkish | -le | with, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form... |
| 3 | Turkish | ile | with; and |
| 4 | Ottoman Turkish | ایله | — |
| 5 | Old Anatolian Turkish | اِیلَه | — |
| 6 | Proto-Turkic | bile | with, together, also |
Words derived from “-less”