Friskinesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state of being playful, lively, or full of energy in various contexts
2. Demonstrating a spirited or animated mood that can be exhibited in both behavior and movement
3. An exuberant quality often associated with playfulness, liveliness, or a carefree attitude

Etymology: "Friskinesses" is the plural of "friskiness," which is "frisky" with the suffix "-ness" added. The adjective "frisky" is an English formation from "frisk," a word meaning to leap or frolic about, and "-ness" is a suffix that turns an adjective into a noun for a quality, as in "kindness" or "happiness." The suffix has an ancient pedigree. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form that was built on a Proto-Indo-European root, and it passed through Old English "-nes" and Middle English "-nesse" before settling into the form used today. Its history is so long that the suffix has been part of English for well over a thousand years, long before "frisky" itself appeared. Because "friskiness" is a plain combination of a common adjective and a productive suffix, the word needed no coining or special invention. The plural form simply counts separate outbursts of playful high spirits, as in a litter of puppies showing several friskinesses in a single afternoon.