coldnesse
Middle English
Alternative forms
- coldnes, coldnez, coldenesse, coldenez, cooldnesse
- coldenes (East Anglia); caldenes, caldnes (Northern); coldenys, koldnes (West Midland)
Etymology
| PIE root |
|---|
| *gel- |
Inherited from Anglian Old English *caldnes (West Saxon Old English ċealdnes) or formed anew from cold + -nesse.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈkɔ̝ːldnɛs(ə)/
- IPA(key): /ˈkaːldnɛs/ (Northern)
Noun
coldnesse (uncountable)
- Coldness; a lack of heat.
- Humoral "coldness" (of a body part, substance, etc.)
- (rare) Emotional coldness; lack of emotion.
- (rare) Sexual frigidity; impotence.
Descendants
References
- “cōldnesse, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.