Where does “squareness” come from?

Squareness derives from Middle English -nesse, Old English -nes, and Latin ex- combined with caput, meaning head.

squareness (English): The condition of being square

Definitions

  1. The condition of being square

Ancestry of “squareness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsquareA polygon with four sides of equal length and...
2Middle EnglishsquareA square tool used to ensure a right angle
3Old Frenchesquarresquare
4Vulgar Latinexquadra—
5LatinexA name of the letter "X"; out of, from
6Latincommūnicōto impart, share
7Latincommūniscommon, commonplace, ordinary, general, universal, shared, shared alike, of both sides, belonging to two or more together
8Old Latincom(m)oinis—
9Proto-Italickommoiniscommon
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱom-moy-ni-held in common
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
12Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
13Middle Englishkyt—
14Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
15Old High Germankuti—
16Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
17Proto-Germanickweduzresin
Every word from Proto-Germanic kweduz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic kwidu →Every word from Old High German kuti →