English
inwardness
Inwardness comes from Middle English inwardnesse ‘the inside of something’, and goes back to Old English inweard ‘internal, inward, internal’.
- Old Englishc. 450–1150inweard‘internal, inward, internal’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inward‘for the inside’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500inwardnesse‘the inside of something’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599inwardness
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Englishc. 450–1150inweard‘internal, inward, internal’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500inward‘for the inside’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500inwardnesse‘the inside of something’
- Englishearliest quotation 1598–1599inwardness
Earliest quotation: 1598–1599, Much Adoe about Nothing: “Signior Leonato, let the friar advise you: / And…”
Formed from inward + -ness
Old English inweard ‘internal, inward, internal’
Middle English inward ‘for the inside’
English inward
Every English word from Old English inweard
Today it means
noun The characteristic of being inward or directed towards the inside.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old English inweard / inwardness