Where does “fastness” come from?
Fastness derives from Middle English fastnesse, from Old English fæstnes (Old English -nes suffix), from Proto-Germanic fastuz with the Proto-Germanic -inassuz suffix, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -inōną.
fastness (English): A secure or fortified place; a stronghold, a...
Definitions
- A secure or fortified place; a stronghold, a...
Ancestry of “fastness”, step by step
fastness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fastnesse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fastnesse | — |
| 2 | Old English | fæstnes | fastness, firmness, firmament, fortification,... |
| 3 | Old English | -nes | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | -nassī | Used to form abstract nouns, usually from... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -inassuz | -ness |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -ī | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -į̄ | -th |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -íh₂ | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -h₂ | Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups... |
via Middle English festnesse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | festnesse | firmness; certainty; stronghold; firmament |