plenteousness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English plenteous

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 plenteousness

From plenteous + -ness.

Noun

plenteousness (usually uncountable, plural plenteousnesses)

1. An abundant supply; abundance.
   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Fête at Sir Robert Walpole’s”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 31:

     Few, save the poor, feel for the poor:
     The rich know not, how hard
     It is to be of needful food
     And needful rest debarred.
     Their paths are paths of plenteousness,
     They sleep on silk and down;
     And never think how heavily
     The weary head lies down.