Where does “gingerliness” come from?

gingerliness (English) comes from English gingerly, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.

gingerliness (English): A gingerly state or attitude

Definitions

  1. A gingerly state or attitude

Ancestry of “gingerliness”, step by step

gingerliness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English gingerly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgingerlyIn a delicate and cautious manner; Very careful...
2English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
3EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
4Middle Englishgrisely
5Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
6Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
7Proto-Germanic*-līk

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn 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
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk