Where does “fiendishness” come from?
fiendishness (English) comes from English fiendish, from English fiend, from Middle English fēnd, from Old English fēond, from Proto-Germanic *fijand, from Proto-Germanic fijandz, from Proto-Germanic fijāną, from Proto-Indo-European peh₁- — to hate, hurt.
fiendishness (English): The quality of being fiendish
Definitions
- The quality of being fiendish
Ancestry of “fiendishness”, step by step
fiendishness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fiendish
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fiendish | Sinister; evil; like a fiend |
| 2 | English | fiend | A devil or demon; a malignant or diabolical... |
| 3 | Middle English | fēnd | An enemy, foe or fiend |
| 4 | Old English | fēond | enemy; adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *fijand | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fijandz | enemy, fiend |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fijāną | to hate; to dislike |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₁- | to hate, hurt |
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 |