Kindnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The warm, gentle quality of being considerate toward others ; a helpful or generous deed done for someone else
2. A tender and benevolent character that inclines a person to goodwill ; a considerate favour or act performed to benefit another
3. The disposition of a person who is gentle and well-meaning ; a good turn or favour extended out of goodwill toward someone

Etymology: "Kindnesse" is simply an older spelling of "kindness," and the spelling tells the story. It came into English as Middle English "kyndenesse," built from the adjective "kind" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. So the word literally means "the state of being kind," in the same way "darkness" means the state of being dark. The adjective "kind" is the older and more interesting half. It descends from the same root as "kin" and "kindred," so originally "kind" meant something like "natural" or "belonging to one's kind," and a kind person was one who behaved as their family or kinship group expected. Over time that sense of acting as one's own kind shifted toward gentleness and goodwill, and the noun followed the adjective's drift.