Where does “richness” come from?
Richness comes from Middle English richesse, formed from Old English rice (rich) and the noun-forming suffix -nes, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃reǵ- meaning to stretch or extend.
richness (English): The state or quality of being rich; richdom;...
Definitions
- The state or quality of being rich; richdom;...
Ancestry of “richness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | richenesse | Wealthiness; the state of being wealthy |
| 2 | Middle English | -nesse | Affixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns... |
| 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... |