-nes

Forms

-nes f (jō-stem; also -ness, -nis, -niss, -nys, -nyss)^[2][1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī.^[1] Ringe and Taylor explain the Germanic abstract nouns in Proto-Germanic *-assuz as first made from verbs in *-atjaną (as *ebnassus (“levelling, levelness”) beside *ebnaz (“level”)); in Gothic they were made to verbs in -𐌹𐌽𐍉𐌽 (-inōn), as Gothic 𐌷𐍉𐍂𐌹𐌽𐌰𐍃𐍃𐌿𐍃 (horinassus, “adultery”), and the suffix complex ⟨-inassu-⟩ then attached to the verbs' bases.^[3] A related West Germanic suffix ⟨*-nVssī⟩, whose first vowel differs between the dialects, probably ended in *-ī in the nominative singular, since it is a feminine jō-stem in Old English.^[3] Its relatives are Old Saxon -nessi and Old High German -nissa, -nessi.^[4][5][6] Etymonline analyses Proto-Germanic *in-assu- as ⟨*-in-⟩ of the noun stem and the abstract suffix ⟨*-assu-⟩.^[6]

According to Hogg, the variants ⟨-nes(s)⟩ and ⟨-nis(s)⟩ go back to ⟨*-nassi⟩, ⟨*-nissi⟩ and ⟨*-nussi⟩, so that the suffix sometimes shows i-umlaut and sometimes not, as in late West Saxon ⟨untrumnesse⟩ “weakness” beside Northumbrian ⟨untrymnis(s)e⟩.^[7] He regards the variation as Germanic rather than Old English, ⟨-nis⟩ being mainly Anglian and ⟨-nes⟩ mainly West Saxon.^[8] Hogg and Fulk give ⟨-nes⟩ as the usual early West Saxon form, ⟨-nyss⟩ as the late West Saxon one and ⟨-niss⟩ as Anglian, with Kentish wavering between ⟨-ness⟩ and ⟨-niss⟩.^[2]

Semantic evolution

Hogg and Fulk call it the commonest suffix of the feminine jō-stems: it makes abstract nouns mostly from adjectives (beorhtness “brightness”, clǣnness “purity”), also from verbs (forġifness “forgiveness”) and occasionally from nouns.^[2] Toller's Supplement lists bases of every kind: nouns, adjectives, numerals and pronouns, past participles and the roots of weak, strong and preterite-present verbs (witness).^[9] Ringe and Taylor reconstruct one such noun for Proto-West Germanic, Proto-West Germanic *galīkanassī (“likeness, image”), the source of ġelīcnes, and call its English descendant -ness still the most productive way of making nouns from adjectives.^[10] Ælfric seems to use -nyss and -nys freely side by side.^[11]

Meanings

Suffix

1. forms feminine abstract nouns of quality or state, mainly from adjectives, also from verbs and nouns; -ness.^[2][1]

Word family

• ēċnes
• mildheortnes
• rihtwīsnes
• beorhtnes
• biternes
• clǣnnes
• forġifnes
• onġitnes
• ġelīcnes
• witnes

Descendants

• Middle English -nesse (→ English -ness; Middle Scots -nes)^[1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Hogg, Richard M.; Fulk, R. D. (2011), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 2: Morphology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, p. § 2.47
3. ^ a b Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 131
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. -nėss
5. ^ Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. 716
6. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ Hogg, Richard M. (1992), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 1: Phonology, Oxford: Blackwell, p. § 5.85
8. ^ Hogg, Richard M. (1992), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 1: Phonology, Oxford: Blackwell, p. § 6.51
9. ^ Bosworth, Joseph; Toller, T. Northcote (1898), An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press; Toller, T. Northcote (1921), Supplement, p. Suppl. 649
10. ^ Ringe, Don; Taylor, Ann (2014), The Development of Old English, A Linguistic History of English II, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 132
11. ^ Hogg, Richard M.; Fulk, R. D. (2011), A Grammar of Old English, vol. 2: Morphology, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, p. § 2.49