Etymograph

English

restless

Restless comes from Old English ræst ‘rest’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *rastō.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rastō‘rest’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rastu‘rest’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150ræst‘rest’
  4. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ræstlēas
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500restles
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2024restless

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*rastō‘rest’reconstructed
  2. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*rastu‘rest’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150ræst‘rest’
  4. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150ræstlēas
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500restles
  6. Englishearliest quotation 2024restless

Earliest quotation: 2024, Madeline Holcombe, What to do on the nights you are struggling with insomnia, a: “If that is the case, she recommends getting up,…”

Formed from rest + -less

Proto-Germanic *rastō ‘interval’

Proto-West Germanic *rastu

Old English ræst

Middle English rest

English rest

Every English word from Proto-Germanic *rastō

Today it means

adj Not allowing or affording rest.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *rastō / restless

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