'tunelessly' originates from the word 'tuneless', which is derived from 'tune', meaning 'a melody or musical composition'. The suffix '-less' indicates the absence of something, and '-ly' turns it into an adverb.

'tuneless' evolved from the Middle English word 'tune', which came from the Old English 'tune', meaning 'a musical sound'.

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