Blaknesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being black in color, or the dark hue that something displays ; the absence of light that leaves a place murky and shadowed
2. The condition of possessing a deep black shade ; a dim, shadowy gloom that settles over an area with little or no light
3. Dark coloring that marks a surface as black ; obscurity caused by a lack of light, making surroundings hard to see

Etymology: "Blaknesse" is a Middle English spelling of "blackness," the state or quality of being black. Its ancestor was the Old English "blǣcnes," formed from "blæc" ("black, dark") and the suffix "-nes," which made nouns meaning a quality or condition. Old English speakers attached "-nes" freely to adjectives, so "bitternes" (bitterness) and "godnes" (goodness) follow the same pattern. The Middle English spelling changed in predictable ways. The Old English "-nes" ending became "-nesse" with a final silent "e," and "ck" was often written as a single "k," as in "blak." Both are spelling habits rather than changes in pronunciation or meaning. Scribes wrote the word in many variants, and "blackness" became standard in the early modern period.

Synonyms: blackness, darkness

Antonyms: whiteness, brightness