English
beardless
Beardless comes from Proto-West Germanic *bard ‘beard’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰardʰéh₂‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bardaz‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bard‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*bardalausreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150beardlēas
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bērdlēs
- Englishearliest quotation 1596beardless
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰardʰéh₂‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bardaz‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bard‘beard’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*bardalausreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150beardlēas
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bērdlēs
- Englishearliest quotation 1596beardless
Earliest quotation: 1596, Shakespeare, King John: “shall a beardless boy, Cocker’d silken wanton, brave our…”
Formed from beard + -less
Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂
Proto-Germanic *bardaz
Proto-West Germanic *bard
Old English beard
Middle English berd
English beard
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰers- ‘top, tip, point’
far, brush, prod, braid, bristle, fash, borscht, farro, 16 more
Today it means
adj Lacking a beard.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰardʰéh₂ / beardless