Where does “wildernesse” come from?

wildernesse (Middle English) comes from Old English *wildēornes, from Old English wilddēor, 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 — Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...

wildernesse (Middle English): A wilderness; an desolate or unpopulated place

Definitions

  1. A wilderness; an desolate or unpopulated place

Ancestry of “wildernesse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English*wildēornes
2Old Englishwilddēorwild animal
3Old English-nesUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
4Proto-West Germanic-nassīUsed to form abstract nouns, usually from...
5Proto-Germanic-inassuz-ness
6Proto-West Germanic-ness, -th
7Proto-Germanic-į̄-th
8Proto-Indo-European-íh₂
9Proto-Indo-European-h₂Creates collective nouns, which refer to groups...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -h₂Every word from Old English -nesEvery word from Proto-Germanic -į̄