Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “cruelnesse” come from?

cruelnesse (Middle English) comes from Middle English -nesse, from Old English -nes, 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...

cruelnesse (Middle English): The state of being cruel; cruelness,...

Definitions

  1. The state of being cruel; cruelness,...

Ancestry of “cruelnesse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-nesseAffixed to adjectives to form abstract nouns...
2Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
3Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
4Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
5Proto-West Germanic-ī-ness, -th
6Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
7Proto-Indo-European-íh₂—
8Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

Words derived from “cruelnesse”

  • cruelness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂ →