Where does “inwardness” come from?
Inwardness comes from Middle English inwardnesse, formed with the Middle English suffix -nesse (from Old English -nes), which derives from Proto-Germanic -inassuz, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -inōną meaning to make or become.
inwardness (English): The characteristic of being inward; directed...
Definitions
- The characteristic of being inward; directed...
Ancestry of “inwardness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | inwardnesse | The inside of something; The centre of primal... |
| 2 | Middle English | inward | inwards, to the interior, especially referring... |
| 3 | Old English | inweard | internal, inward, internal; within |
| 4 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 5 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 6 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 8 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 9 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |