Where does “wilfulness” come from?
Wilfulness derives from Middle English wilfulnesse, composed of wilful plus the Old English suffix -nes, which is traced to Proto-Germanic -inassuz.
wilfulness (English): The state or condition of being wilful;...
Definitions
- The state or condition of being wilful;...
Ancestry of “wilfulness”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Ness | — |
| 2 | Middle English | nesse | — |
| 3 | Old English | næs | not, not at all; not; first/third-person singular... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | nasją | foothill; headland; cape |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | néh₂s | nose |