Where does “girliness” come from?
girliness (English) comes from English girly, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.
girliness (English): The state or condition of being girly
Definitions
- The state or condition of being girly
Ancestry of “girliness”, step by step
girliness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English girly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | girly | Characteristic of a stereotypical girl, very... |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |
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 |