Humblenesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being modest and unpretentious about one's own importance ; a lowly or unassuming state, as of rank or circumstance
2. Modesty and lack of pride in oneself ; an instance of humility or a condition of being meek and low in status
3. Freedom from arrogance or vanity in character ; the state of being poor, lowly or unassuming in one's standing

Etymology: "Humblenesse" is an older spelling of "humbleness," built from the adjective "humble" with the suffix "-nesse," an Middle English form of the suffix that turns adjectives into nouns of state or quality, much like "-ness" does today. "Humble" itself came into English from Old French "humble," which descended from Latin "humilis," meaning "low" or "lowly," a sense that also gave us "humiliate" and "humility." The spelling with the final "-e" and double "s" reflects the Middle English period, when many nouns ended in "-nesse" before the modern "-ness" became standard. Because the suffix is so productive, the word is a plain, transparent formation: its meaning is simply the quality of being humble, with the older spelling preserved in a few texts and dictionaries.