ingenuousness

ingenuousness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
English ingenuous
Proto-Germanic *-in-
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti
Proto-Germanic *-ōną
Proto-Germanic *-inōną
Proto-Indo-European *-dyé-
Proto-Germanic *-atjaną
Proto-Indo-European *-tus
Proto-Germanic *-þuz
Proto-Germanic *-assuz
Proto-Germanic *-inassuz
Proto-West Germanic *-nassī
Old English -nes
Middle English -nesse
English -ness
English ingenuousness

    From ingenuous + -ness.

    Noun

    ingenuousness (countable and uncountable, plural ingenuousnesses)

    1. The condition of being ingenuous.
    2. (countable) An ingenuous behavior.
      • 1930, Aldous Huxley, Brief Candles:
        Time passed; Moira grew up, chronologically; but Sir Watney went on treating her as a spoilt child, went on being enchanted by her birdy chirrupings and ingenuousnesses and impertinent enfant-terrible-isms.

    Translations

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