Where does “unselfishness” come from?
Unselfishness derives from English unselfish, which combines English self (from Proto-Indo-European óynos, meaning "one's own") with English selfish, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ano- and ne.
unselfishness (English): The state of being unselfish
Definitions
- The state of being unselfish
Ancestry of “unselfishness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ness | Appended to adjectives to form nouns meaning "the... |
| 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... |