brotlos

German

Etymology

Brot (“bread”) +‎ -los (“-less”)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

brotlos (strong nominative masculine singular brotloser, comparative brotloser, superlative am brotlosesten)

1. (literally) breadless
2. (figurative) inviable, unsustainable, unable to sustain oneself

   brotlose Kunst ― unprofitable craft

   • 1848, Friedrich Engels, Die Lage der arbeitenden Klasse in England [The Condition of the Working Class in England], page 168:

     Diese Vermehrung der Spindelzahl an der Mule ist aber so bedeutend, daß dadurch ganze Schaaren^[sic] von Arbeitern brotlos geworden sind; […]

     But this increase in the number of spindles at the mule is so significant that it has left whole hosts of workers without a livelihood; […]

Further reading

• “brotlos” in Duden online