Where does “goodness” come from?

Goodness derives from Old English gōdnes, a noun formation from the adjective gōd meaning good.

goodness (English): The state or characteristic of being good; The...

Definitions

  1. The state or characteristic of being good; The...

Ancestry of “goodness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishgoodnesseA good thing or things; that which is good
2Old Englishgōdnesgoodness; virtue; kindness
3Proto-Germanic*gōdnassī—

Words derived from “goodness”

Every word from Proto-Germanic *gōdnassī →Every word from Old English gōdnes →Every word from Middle English goodnesse →