Aghfulnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of fearful awe or dread, the quality of something that fills a person with terror
2. The overwhelming feeling of fear and reverence that a dreadful or majestic thing produces in those who face it
3. Terror mixed with wonder, an archaic sense of fright or dreadfulness inspired by something powerful or frightening

Etymology: "Aghfulnesse" was a Middle English noun for the quality of being full of dread or awe. It combines "aghful", meaning fearsome or dreadful, with the suffix "-nesse", the older form of "-ness", which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality, as in "goodness." The first element, "agh" or "aghe", goes back to Old English "ege", meaning fear or terror. Its spelling shifted over the Middle English period, which is why this form looks so unfamiliar now. Its close relative "awe" came into English from Old Norse, and in medieval usage the two overlapped in meaning, so "aghful" and "awful" described much the same sense of fearsome power.