Where does “drearness” come from?
drearness (English) comes from English drear, from English dreary, from Middle English drery, from Old English drēoriġ, from Proto-Germanic dreuzagaz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreus- — to break, break off, crumble.
drearness (English): The quality of being drear
Definitions
- The quality of being drear
Ancestry of “drearness”, step by step
drearness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English drear
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | drear | Dreary; Gloom; sadness |
| 2 | English | dreary | Drab; dark, colorless, or cheerless; Grievous,... |
| 3 | Middle English | drery | Experiencing sadness; glum, unhappy; Showing... |
| 4 | Old English | drēoriġ | sad |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | dreuzagaz | bloody; gory; sad |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreus- | to break, break off, crumble |
via English Ness
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | An 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 |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |