Etymology

rudderless

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Today it means: Without a rudder. Full definition →

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

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁reh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁roh₁-(ye-)-ti
  3. Proto-Germanic*rōaną
  4. Proto-Germanic*rōþrą
  5. Proto-West Germanic*rōþr
  6. Old Englishrōþor
  7. Middle Englishrother
  8. Englishrudder
  9. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  11. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  12. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  13. English todayrudderless

From rudder + -less.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.