motherless

Meanings

Adjective

• Without a (living) mother.
• Without mother .
• Without a history or predecessor.

Adverb

• very, completely

Related

Broader meaning words

• parentless

Origin

• From Middle English moderles, from Old English mōdorlēas, from Proto-Germanic *mōdērlausaz, equivalent to mother + -less. Cognate with Saterland Frisian muurloos, Dutch moederloos, German mutterlos, Danish moderløs, Swedish moderlös, Icelandic móðurlaus.