Where does “tuffness” come from?

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

tuffness (English): The state or property of being tuff

Definitions

  1. The state or property of being tuff

Ancestry of “tuffness”, step by step

tuffness 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 tuff

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtuffA light porous rock, now especially a rock...
2Frenchtuftuff
3Italiantufotuff
4Latintōfustuff (kind of rock)
Every word from Proto-Indo-European néh₂sEvery word from Proto-Germanic nasjąEvery word from Old English næs