Reckless

Sometimes, words can seem confusing. Take the word reckless, for example. It means roughly the same thing as careless. However, when we look at careless, it seems obvious that it is a combination of the word care and the suffix -less. There is also the word careful. 

Why then, is there no such word as reck, or reckful?

In fact, there is such a word as reck. Here is the Google definition:

reck

/rɛk/

verb

ARCHAIC

verb: reck; 3rd person present: recks; past tense: recked; past participle: recked; gerund or present participle: recking

1. pay heed to something.

   "ye reck not of lands or goods"

   • it is of importance.

     "what recks it?"

Notice the word archaic in the definition. This means that the word is no longer used. If it is no longer used, why is it in the dictionary? So that people reading old books or manuscripts can look it up.


There is also a word reckful. Although it does not appear as a Google definition, you can find it in some dictionaries. Again, it is marked as archaic or uncommon.

reckful

adjective

(comparative more reckful, superlative most reckful)

1. Full of careful heed or attention; careful; cautious.