Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “-nes” come from?

-nes (Middle English) comes from Old English -nis, from Proto-West Germanic -nassī, from Proto-Germanic -inassuz, from Proto-West Germanic -ī, from Proto-Germanic -į̄, from Proto-Indo-European -íh₂, from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

-nes (Middle English): Alternative form of -nesse

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of -nesse

Ancestry of “-nes”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English-nisAlternative form of -nes
2Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
3Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
4Proto-West Germanic-ī-ness, -th
5Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
6Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
7Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

Words derived from “-nes”

  • consciousness
  • happiness
  • illness
  • awareness
  • effectiveness
  • willingness
  • tenderness
  • fitness
  • readiness
  • usefulness
  • loneliness
  • richness
  • selfishness
  • seriousness
  • earnestness
  • correctness
  • uneasiness
  • emptiness
  • firmness
  • politeness
  • completeness
  • clearness
  • gentleness
  • competitiveness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →