Understanding the Roots of the Word Ruthless

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In the popular children’s television show Phineas and Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, the primary antagonist declares that he is “ruthless. [He] has no ruths” (19:40). His declaration articulates an interesting linguistic idiosyncrasy; ruthless currently only operate in various forms of itself (i.e. “ruthlessness,” “ruthlessly). As many words do, this facet of the word ruthless illuminates various types of change in the English language over time. To be completely understood, the word “ruthless” must be looked at, and then it must be examined in its constituent parts—“ruth-“ and “-less.” I will also look at the name Ruth as a variant on the root word “ruth.” This word demonstrates various aspects of compounding and the movement of Christianity through English culture. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “ruthless” means “devoid of pity or compassion; pitiless, unsparing, merciless.” However, to understand the history of the word, one can divide it into its constituent parts. “Ruthless” is comprised of two morphemes ([ruth-] + [-less]), which together mean “without ruth.” The suffix “less” is common in many words and serves to negate various adjectives. The word “ruth” has become archaic/obsolete in the English language. Most words associated with the root word have become archaic or obsolete (i.e. ruthful). The first recorded account of the word “ruthless” appears at 1327 in Pol. Songs of England, and since the word’s appearance, it has undergone minimal phonological changes. Most of the substantial transformations to the word “ruthless” appear in its morphemes. The first morpheme, “Ruth,” means “1. The quality of being compassionate; pitifulness; the feeling of sorrow for another; compassion, pity… 2. Contrition, r... ... middle of paper ... ...'.. I said I was similarly card-caseless.” Increasingly, the suffix “-less” is attached to nearly any word as a means of stating “without.” Thus, a modern speaker may explain ruthless as one “without ruths.” Today, “ruth” may be nothing more than a name to most English speakers, and many may use the word “ruthless” without understanding the root word “ruth” to be a word. Because the root word has become obsolete, we may often have a meaning in our minds, but not completely understand that meaning. Readers may also assume that “less” and “-less” come from the same origins, and today they have paralleled meanings. The history of the word ruthless allows it to become a catalyst for word play such as the wordplay seen in the show Phineas and Ferb. Given the negative connotation of the word “ruth” is the only surviving form, in time ruthless may become obsolete as well.

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