Where does “eagerness” come from?
Eagerness derives from Middle English egernesse, formed with the Middle English suffix -nesse from Old English -nes, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂eḱ- meaning sharp or keen.
eagerness (English): The state or quality of being eager; ardent...
Definitions
- The state or quality of being eager; ardent...
Ancestry of “eagerness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | egernesse | Violentness, ferocity; wrath, strength; Acidity;... |
| 2 | Middle English | egre | acidic, sour-tasting; violent, ruthless; angry,... |
| 3 | Old French | aigre | sour; acrid |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | acrus | sour |
| 5 | Latin | ācer | sharp, sour, bitter, pungent |
| 6 | Latin | saccharum | sugar |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | σάκχαρ | sugar; sugar cane |
| 8 | Sanskrit | शर्करा | gravel, grit, pebbles, shingle, gravelly mould or... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-Aryan | śárkaraH | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćárkaraH | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorkeh₂ | gravel, boulder; boulder; gravel |