Etymology

defenseless

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Today it means: Lacking any form of defense; vulnerable; open to attack. Full definition →

Proto-Germanic *lausaz ← Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- ← English defense
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The story

  1. Englishdefense
  2. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  4. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  5. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  6. English todaydefenseless

From defense + -less.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.