The story
- Proto-Germanic*rōkijaną
- Proto-West Germanic*rōkijan
- Old Englishrēċan
- Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
- Proto-Germanic*leusaną
- Proto-Germanic*lausaz
- Old Englishrēċelēas
- Middle Englishrekles
- English todayreckless
From Middle English rekles, reckeles, rekkeles, (also recheles), from Old English rēcelēas (“reckless, careless, negligent”), equivalent to reck + -less. Cognate with West Frisian roekeleas (“reckless”), Dutch roekeloos (“reckless”), German Low German ruuklos (“careless”), German ruchlos (“careless, notorious”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.