Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-nassī

This Proto-West Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-West Germanic

Alternative forms

*-nussī (īn-stem; neuter ja-stem)
*-nassi, *-nussi (feminine jo-stem)

Etymology

From *-nass, from Proto-Germanic *-inassuz, + *-ī.

Suffix

*-nassī f^[1]

Used to form abstract nouns, usually from adjectives, denoting quality or state; -ness

Inflection

īn-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*-nassī
Genitive	*-nassīn
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*-nassī	—
Accusative	*-nassīn	—
Genitive	*-nassīn	—
Dative	*-nassīn	—
Instrumental	*-nassīn	—

Neuter ja-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*-nassī
Genitive	*-nassijas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*-nassī	*-nassiju
Accusative	*-nassī	*-nassiju
Genitive	*-nassijas	*-nassijō
Dative	*-nassijē	*-nassijum
Instrumental	*-nassiju	*-nassijum

Derived terms

Proto-West Germanic terms suffixed with *-nassī

Descendants

Old English: -nes, -ness, -nis, -niss, -nys, -nyss
- Middle English: -nesse, -ness, -nes, -nece, -nesce, -nisse, -nis, -næse, -næs, -nez
  - English: -ness
  - Scots: -nes
Old Frisian: -nisse, -ense
- Saterland Frisian: -nisse, -nis
- West Frisian: -ens
Old Saxon: -nessi, -nissi, -nussi
- Middle Low German: -nisse
  - Low German: -nis
Old Dutch: -nissi, -nussi
- Middle Dutch: -nisse
  - Dutch: -nis
    - Afrikaans: -nis
Old High German: -nissi, -nussi
- Middle High German: -nisse, -nusse, -nüsse (at least in rhyme)
  - German: -nis, -niß -nüß, -nuß
  - Yiddish: ־ניש (-nish)

References

^ Ringe, Donald, Taylor, Ann (2014) The Development of Old English (A Linguistic History of English; 2), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 131: “*-nVssī”

[1] Ringe, Donald, Taylor, Ann (2014) The Development of Old English (A Linguistic History of English; 2), Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 131: “*-nVssī”

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