Etymology

useless

U1S1E1L1E1S1S1

Today it means: Without use or the possibility to be used. Full definition →

Proto-Germanic *lausaz ← Proto-Indo-European *lewHs- ← English use
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₃eyt-der.?
  2. Proto-Italic*oitōr
  3. Latinūtor
  4. Latinūsus
  5. Old Frenchus
  6. Middle Englishuse
  7. Englishuse
  8. Proto-Indo-European*lewh₁-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*lewHs-
  10. Proto-Germanic*leusaną
  11. Proto-Germanic*lausaz
  12. English todayuseless

From use + -less.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.