prettiness

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English pretty

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 prettiness

From pretty + -ness.

Noun

prettiness (countable and uncountable, plural prettinesses)

1. The quality of being pretty.
   • 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:

     A young girl in cap and apron—a girl of quite unusual prettiness—appeared at the door.

Related terms

• pretty
• prettily

Anagrams

• persistent, pin setters, pin-setters, pinsetters, presentist, serpentist