Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
craftless en · ADJ · etymology 1
Etymology
From Middle English craftles, creftleas, from Old English cræftlēas (“artless, unskilful, innocent, simple, inexpert”), from Proto-West Germanic *kraftulaus, equivalent to craft + -less. Cognate with West Frisian krêftleas (“powerless”), Dutch krachteloos (“powerless”), German kraftlos (“powerless”).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) Without craft; unskilled.
Ostensibly the reasons given were that craftless people could not readily find jobs […]
1980, Hyman Bogomolny Grinstein, A Short History of the Jews in the United States:
Deriveds
craftlessness
craftless en · ADJ · etymology 2
Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Germanic *krafjaną
Proto-Indo-European *-tus
Proto-Germanic *-þuz
Proto-Germanic *kraftuz
Proto-West Germanic *kraftu
Old English cræft
Middle English craft
English craft
Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der.
Proto-Germanic *leusaną
Proto-Germanic *lausaz
Proto-Germanic *-lausaz
Proto-West Germanic *-laus
Old English -lēas
Middle English -les
English -less
English craftless
From craft + -less.
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) Without craft; boatless, etc.
Now one had come to see these craftless rivers, empty stations and poverty instead of wealth.
1926, Alec Tweedie, An Adventurous Journey (Russia-Siberia-China):