Where does “tabbiness” come from?

tabbiness (English) comes from English Ness, from Middle English nesse, from Old English næs, from Proto-Germanic nasją, from Proto-Indo-European néh₂s — nose.

tabbiness (English): The quality of being tabby

Definitions

  1. The quality of being tabby

Ancestry of “tabbiness”, step by step

tabbiness traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Ness

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishNessAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa
2Middle Englishnesse
3Old Englishnæsnot, not at all; not; first/third-person singular...
4Proto-Germanicnasjąfoothill; headland; cape
5Proto-Indo-Europeannéh₂snose

via English tabby

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtabbyA kind of waved silk, usually called watered...
2Swedishtabba tab; a tab, a tabulator, a tab stop, a tab key
Every word from Proto-Indo-European néh₂sEvery word from Proto-Germanic nasjąEvery word from Old English næs