Modinesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic word for a state of anger, passion or agitated temper of mind
2. Old-fashioned term describing a heated, angry or emotionally agitated frame of mind
3. A rare, obsolete noun referring to temper stirred up into anger or strong emotional turmoil

Etymology: "Modinesse" is a Middle English noun, and its core is the Old English "mōd," which meant mind, spirit, or courage rather than a passing temper. That older sense survives in "mood," which once described the mind's inner disposition in general, before narrowing to changeable feelings. Medieval writers used the related "mōdig" to describe someone bold, high-spirited, or proud, and in later use also angry. The ending "-ness" was added to turn the adjective into a noun for a quality, so "modinesse" named a state of being proud, spirited, or wrathful. Some English writers used it for pride or anger, and it dropped out of use as "moody" and "mood" took over those senses. Its exact range of meanings in the surviving texts is worth checking in a Middle English dictionary, since the spellings varied widely.