less-costly

The word 'less-costly' is a modern English compound adjective formed by transparently combining two existing elements. The first element, 'less,' originates from the Old English comparative form, establishing a lineage of diminution that connects to Proto-Germanic roots. The second element, 'costly,' is itself a derivative, built upon the noun 'cost,' which entered English via Old French from the Latin verb constare, meaning "to stand together" or "to be settled," a concept that evolved to signify a fixed price or expenditure. The suffix -ly, of Germanic origin, transforms the noun into an adjective. Therefore, the compound's logic is straightforward and modern: it directly signifies the quality of having a reduced cost or price compared to something else, with its constituent parts retaining their core semantic values.

Structure: less (reduced degree) + costly (expensive) - less: From Old English lǣs, lǣssa, meaning "smaller, fewer, lesser." In this compound, it functions as a comparative prefix indicating a reduced degree or amount. - costly: From the noun cost (from Old French cost, from Latin constare "to stand at, to cost") + the adjectival suffix -ly (from Old English -lic). It functions as the base adjective meaning "expensive."