English
makeless
Makeless comes from Middle English makeles ‘matchless, without equal, peerless’, and goes back to make ‘peer’.
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500make‘peer’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500makeles‘matchless, without equal, peerless’
- Englishearliest quotation 1578makeless
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history not traced here.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500make‘peer’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500makeles‘matchless, without equal, peerless’
- Englishearliest quotation 1578makeless
Earliest quotation: 1578, The Complaynt of Henry Duke of Buckingham: “Consider Cyrus in your cruell thought, A makelesse Prince…”
Formed from make ‘companion, mate, equal, peer’ + -less
Proto-Germanic *makaz ‘fit, suitable, agreeable’
Proto-West Germanic *mak ‘fit, suitable’
Proto-West Germanic *makōn ‘to make suitable; to build, make’
Old English macian ‘to make, build, work’
Middle English maken
English make
Every English word from Middle English make
Today it means
adj Matchless, without equal, peerless.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Middle English make / makeless