Etymology

spiritless

S1P3I1R1I1T1L1E1S1S1

Today it means: Lacking energy, drive, motivation or emotion. Enervated. Full definition →

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

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)peys-der.?
  2. Latinspīrō
  3. Latinspīritu
  4. Old Frenchespirit
  5. Middle Englishspirit
  6. Englishspirit
  7. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  9. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  10. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  11. English todayspiritless

From spirit + -less.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.