Brightnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The archaic spelling of the quality of giving off or reflecting a great deal of light, or of appearing vivid and luminous
2. An older form of the word for the intensity of light a surface or source emits, or the vividness of its colour
3. Luminosity or radiance, the degree to which something shines or glows with strong light in the manner of an old spelling

Etymology: Brightnesse is simply an older spelling of brightness, and the word's story is one of plain, traceable building blocks rather than a dramatic twist. It is made from "bright" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. The suffix itself is very old: it goes back to Old English "-nes," which formed countless abstract nouns from adjectives. The base word "bright" is the more ancient part. Its Old English form "beorht" meant shining or clear, and it has relatives across the Germanic languages, including Old High German "berahtnessi," a close cousin of the same formation. Middle English then wrote the noun as "bryghtnes" and later "brightnesse," with the final "e" that the spelling of the period often attached, before the modern form settled into place.

Synonyms: brightness, luminosity, radiance, brilliance, luster

Antonyms: dullness, darkness, dimness, gloom, murkiness