Where does “stillness” come from?
Stillness comes from Middle English stilnesse, from Old English stilnes, from Proto-West Germanic stillinassī, derived from Proto-West Germanic stillī and the Proto-Germanic suffix -inassuz.
stillness (English): The quality or state of being still; Habitual...
Definitions
- The quality or state of being still; Habitual...
Ancestry of “stillness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | stilnesse | — |
| 2 | Old English | stilnes | stillness; quiet; calm, calmness |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | stillinassī | stillness, silence |
| 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... |