Where does “oldness” come from?
oldness (English) comes from Middle English oldnesse, from Old English ealdnes, from Old English -nes, from Proto-West Germanic -nassī, from Proto-Germanic -inassuz, from Proto-West Germanic -ī, from Proto-Germanic -į̄, from Proto-Indo-European -íh₂ — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
oldness (English): The state of being old; age
Definitions
- The state of being old; age
Ancestry of “oldness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | oldnesse | — |
| 2 | Old English | ealdnes | oldness, age; old age |
| 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... |