Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bluntness” come from?

Bluntness derives from Middle English bluntnes, the quality of being blunt or dull.

bluntness (English): The characteristic of being blunt

Definitions

  1. The characteristic of being blunt

Ancestry of “bluntness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbluntHaving a thick edge or point; not sharp; Dull in...
2English-nessAppended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the...
3Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
4Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
5Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
6Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
7Proto-West Germanic-ī-ness, -th
8Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
9Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
10Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →