Where does “idleness” come from?
Idleness comes from Middle English idelnesse, from Old English īdelnes, a noun formation from the adjective meaning empty or useless.
idleness (English): The state of being idle; inactivity; The state of...
Definitions
- The state of being idle; inactivity; The state of...
Ancestry of “idleness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ydelnesse | Vanity, worthlessness |
| 2 | Old English | īdelnes | idleness, vanity, frivolity |
| 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... |