Where does “forgiveness” come from?
Forgiveness derives from Old English forġifnes, a noun formed from the verb forġifan meaning to give or grant.
forgiveness (English): The action of forgiving; Readiness to forgive
Definitions
- The action of forgiving; Readiness to forgive
Ancestry of “forgiveness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | forgiveness | — |
| 2 | Old English | forġiefnes | forgiveness |
| 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... |