legless

The word 'legless' is a transparent compound formed within English from the native noun 'leg' and the adjectival suffix '-less'. The core noun 'leg' entered English from Old Norse 'leggr', which originally referred more specifically to a bone or a hollow tube, reflecting its Proto-Germanic root 'lagjaz'. The suffix '-less' derives from the Old English adjective 'lēas', meaning "free from" or "devoid of". The literal meaning, "having no legs", follows a straightforward morphological pattern common in English, such as in 'armless' or 'heartless'. The informal British slang sense, meaning "extremely drunk", is a metaphorical extension from the early 20th century, humorously comparing the incapacitation caused by excessive alcohol to the literal inability to stand or walk.

Structure: leg (limb) + less (without) leg: From Middle English 'leg', from Old Norse 'leggr' (limb, bone of the arm or leg). A noun root denoting a limb used for support and locomotion. less: From Old English '-lēas' (devoid of, free from), an adjective-forming suffix meaning "without".