Where does “filthiness” come from?

Filthiness comes from Middle English filthiness, from Old English filthiness formed with the suffix -nes, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -inassuz denoting a state or quality.

filthiness (English): the property of being filthy

Definitions

  1. the property of being filthy

Ancestry of “filthiness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-nessAppended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the...
2Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
3Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
4Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
5Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
6Proto-West Germanic-ness, -th
7Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
8Proto-Indo-European-íh₂
9Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂Every word from English -nessEvery word from Old English -nes