heartless

The word heartless is a transparent compound formed within English from its native Germanic lexical stock. The first element, heart, descends from the Proto-Indo-European root kerd-, which signified the physical heart. This concrete meaning was extended metaphorically very early in its history across Indo-European languages to represent the seat of feelings, courage, and the inner self. The suffix less, from Old English lēas meaning 'devoid of', is added to nouns to create adjectives denoting absence. Therefore, the literal construction 'devoid of a heart' logically evolved into the modern abstract meaning of being devoid of compassion, kindness, or humane feeling, characterizing someone as cruel or unfeeling.

Structure: heart (organ/seat of emotion) + less (without) - heart: From Old English heorte, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch hart and German Herz, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin cor, cord- and Greek kēr, kardia. Functions as the core noun denoting the physical organ and, by metaphorical extension, the center of emotion, courage, or character. - less: From Old English -lēas, from lēas 'devoid of'. A suffix forming adjectives meaning 'without', 'free from', or 'lacking' the thing denoted by the first element.