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Origin and history of ness

ness(n.)

"point of land running into the sea," obsolete except in place names (Holderness, Dungeness, etc.) and surnames, Old English næs (West Saxon, Northumbrian), nes (Mercian, Kentish), "a promontory," related to nasu "nose" (from PIE root *nas- "nose"). Cognate with and probably partly from Old Norse nes, Danish næs; also Swedish näs, Middle Dutch nesse.

Entries linking to ness

whatness(n.)

1610s, translating the Latin source of quiddity, from what + -ness.

*nas-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "nose."

It might form all or part of: nares; nark; nasal; nasopharynx; nasturtium; ness; nose; nostril; nozzle; nuzzle; pince-nez.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit nasa, Old Persian naham, Latin nasus, Old Church Slavonic nasu, Lithuanian nosis, Old English nosu, German Nase "nose."

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    tongue
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    land
    Old English lond, land, "ground, soil," also "definite portion of the earth's surface, home region of a person or a people, territory marked by political boundaries," from Proto-Germanic *landja- (source also of Old Norse, Old Frisian Dutch, Gothic land, German Land), perhaps fro
    terra firma
    c. 1600, "part of the Italian mainland ruled by Venice," from Modern Latin terra firma, literally "firm land," from Latin terra "earth, land" (from PIE root *ters- "to dry") + firma, fem. of firmus "strong, steadfast" (from suffixed form of PIE root *dher- "to hold firmly, suppor

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