Where does “narrowness” come from?
Narrowness comes from Middle English narwenesse, formed with the Middle English suffix -nesse (from Old English -nes), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European (s)ner- and Proto-Germanic -inōną, expressing the quality or state of being narrow.
narrowness (English): the state of being narrow; a constriction
Definitions
- the state of being narrow; a constriction
Ancestry of “narrowness”, step by step
narrowness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English narrow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | narrow | Having a small width; not wide; having opposite... |
| 2 | Middle English | narow | Alternative form of narwe |
| 3 | Old English | nearu | narrow; difficulty |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | narwaz | constricted; narrow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ner- | to wrap; wind; lace; shrink; shrivel; turn, bend,... |
via Middle English narwenesse
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | narwenesse | Narrowness; the state of being narrow; An... |
| 2 | Middle English | narwe | Narrow, skinny; lacking width; Little; diminutive... |