Where does “what-it's-like-ness” come from?

what-it's-like-ness (English) comes from English what, from Middle English what, from Old English hwæt, from Old English -ing, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną — smoke; mist, haze.

what-it's-like-ness (English): The qualitative character of consciousness

Definitions

  1. The qualitative character of consciousness

Ancestry of “what-it's-like-ness”, step by step

what-it's-like-ness traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English what

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhatWhich thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used...
2Middle Englishwhatwhat
3Old Englishhwætwhat; why; how many or how much
4Old English-ingForming nouns from verbs, indicating action,...
5Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
6Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
7Proto-West Germanictūnfence
8Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
9Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
10Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
11Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English like

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlikeTo enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;...
2Dutchluikhatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych
3Middle Dutchluke
4Dutchluikento close, to shut
5Middle Dutchlukento close, to shut; to close, to become closed
6Old Dutchlūcanto close, shut
7Proto-West Germaniclūkanto close, to shut
8Proto-Germaniclūkanąto close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewǵ-to break, tear; to break, shatter

via English it’s

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishit’sThere's, there is; there're, there are
2English-’sAttached to a noun or noun phrase linked to a genitive (Compare of mine, etc.)
3Middle English-sAdverbial genitive ending, developed into the...
4Old English-espossessive marker, indicating that an object...
5Proto-Germanic-asused in formation of adverbs
6Proto-Indo-European-ēsPrimarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds
7Proto-Indo-European-ess
8Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-Every word from Proto-Celtic dūnomEvery word from Gaulish dunum