'driverless' originates from the English word 'driver' combined with the suffix '-less,' where 'driver' meant 'one who drives' and '-less' meant 'without.'

'driver' changed from the Old English word 'drīfan' meaning 'to drive' and eventually became the modern English word 'driver.'

Initially, it meant 'without a driver,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.