Bountyffulnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being generous in giving or plentiful in supply, as shown in an archaic spelling of bountifulness
2. An old form of bountifulness describing a readiness to give freely or an ample, plentiful amount of something
3. Archaic term for the state of being openhanded and giving, or of having a rich and generous supply of goods

Etymology: The spelling here is an early modern variant of "bountifulness," with the doubled "f" and the "y" in place of an "i" that were common in the period before English spelling was standardized. Its roots run through "bounty," which came into English from Old French "bonte," itself from Latin "bonitas," meaning "goodness." That is the surprise: "bounty" once meant the quality of being good, and only later narrowed to generosity in giving. The suffix pair does the rest. "-ful" makes "bountiful" mean "full of bounty," and "-ness" turns that adjective into the noun for the quality. Both suffixes are native English, so the full construction is an English-built compound on a borrowed base.