Where does “ness” come from?

Ness comes from Old English ness, from Proto-Germanic nasją, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s, a word of uncertain meaning referring to a geographical feature or protuberance.

ness (English): A promontory; a cape or headland

Definitions

  1. A promontory; a cape or headland

Ancestry of “ness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnesse—
2Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
3Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
4Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose
Every word from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s →Every word from Proto-Germanic nasją →Every word from Old English næs →