English
idleship
Idleship comes from Middle English ydelschipe ‘idleness, inactivity’, from ydel ‘vain’, and ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *īdl ‘void, empty, ineffective’.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*īdl‘void, empty, ineffective’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150īdel‘empty, void’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydel‘vain’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500ydelschipe‘idleness, inactivity’
- Englishtodayidleship
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*īdl‘void, empty, ineffective’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150īdel‘empty, void’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ydel‘vain’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500ydelschipe‘idleness, inactivity’
- Englishtodayidleship
Formed from idle + -ship
Proto-Germanic *īdlaz
Proto-West Germanic *īdl ‘void, empty, ineffective’
Old English īdel ‘empty, void’
Middle English idel
English idle
Linked words
through Proto-West Germanic *īdl ‘void, empty, ineffective’
through Old English īdel ‘empty, void’
Today it means
noun The property or characteristic of being idle; idleness, worthlessness, vanity.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *īdl / idleship