Where does “behindness” come from?

behindness (English) comes from English behind, from Middle English behinde, from Old English behindan, from Old English be-, from Old English hrōpan, from Proto-West Germanic hrōpan, from Proto-Germanic hrōpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer- — army.

behindness (English): The quality of being behind

Definitions

  1. The quality of being behind

Ancestry of “behindness”, step by step

behindness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English behind

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbehindAt the back of; positioned with something else in...
2Middle Englishbehinde
3Old Englishbehindanbehind
4Old Englishbe-a productive prefix usually used to form verbs...
5Old Englishhrōpanto shout, proclaim; cry out, scream, howl; to cry...
6Proto-West Germanichrōpanto cry out, to call, to shout
7Proto-Germanichrōpanąto cry out, call, shout
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
9Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
10Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker-
behindness — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer