Arcaneness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of having an enigmatic quality that few understand
2. The state of being known or understood by very few due to complexity or secrecy
3. A characteristic describing something difficult to comprehend or explain clearly

Etymology: "Arcaneness" is simply the noun formed by adding the suffix "-ness" to the adjective "arcane," which means mysterious, secret, or understood by only a few. The suffix "-ness" is native English, descending from Old English "-nes," and it has long been used to turn adjectives into abstract nouns naming a quality, as with "kindness" or "darkness." The adjective "arcane" itself was borrowed from Latin "arcanus," meaning secret or hidden, derived from "arca," a chest or box in which valuables were kept out of sight. That container sense explains the word's core idea: something locked away from ordinary view. "Arcaneness," then, names the state of being that kind of hidden knowledge or obscure matter.

Synonyms: mystery, esotericism