Post History
Some cultures use "less" as a direct alternative to "minus," making it (in effect) a synonym of "except" or "without:" Five less two is three. It is not a wild stretch to imagine that these constr...
Answer
#1: Initial revision
Some cultures use "less" as a direct alternative to "minus," making it (in effect) a synonym of "except" or "without:" _Five less two is three._ It is not a wild stretch to imagine that these constructs are then equivalent to "X unless Y": - X except Y - X without Y - X minus Y - X less Y Like Shiva's and Jirka's answers, this is speculative not evidentiary.