The word "worthless" is a transparent compound formed within English from its native Germanic elements. The root "worth" originates from the Proto-Germanic werþaz, meaning "toward, opposite," which evolved to signify "equivalent in value" in Old English. The suffix "-less" descends from the Old English -lēas, itself derived from the noun lēas meaning "falsehood, lie," and came to function as a privative, meaning "devoid of." Therefore, the literal construction "devoid of worth" directly and logically yields the modern abstract meanings of having no value, use, or merit. This pattern of appending "-less" to a noun to create a negative adjective is a highly productive feature of English word formation.

Structure: worth (value) + less (without) - worth: From Old English weorþ, meaning "value, price, equal in value to". Its functional role is the core semantic root denoting value. - less: From Old English -lēas, an adjective-forming suffix meaning "free from, without, lacking". Its functional role is a privative suffix that negates the root.