Horynesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The grey or white colour of hair that comes with old age ; the mould or musty staleness that develops on something decaying
2. A frosty greyness of the hair associated with advancing years ; a mouldy, damp fustiness that spreads over neglected or rotting things
3. The hoary, silvery look of aged hair ; the furry mildew or musty decay that gathers on old and spoiled material

Etymology: In Middle English, "horynesse" was a spelling of "horiness," the noun for the state of being "hory," meaning dirty or filthy. That adjective came from the Old English "hār," meaning grey, and it still underlies the modern "hoary," which means grey-haired or ancient. The link between grey and dirty is probably that grey was the colour of dust, grime, and mould, so something grey-looking could seem neglected or unclean. Medieval writers used the term in this sense, though the exact dates of its earliest and latest uses are uncertain to me. The same root gave us the modern sense of "hoary" in its older meaning of white or grey hair, and the spelling "horynesse" shows that the noun could be formed on either sense. Its spelling also reflects the variable vowel and final-letter conventions of Middle English, which is why the form looks unfamiliar today. It has not survived into modern English, so its story is mainly visible in the adjective it came from.