Quirkiness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The characteristic of exhibiting unusual or distinctive traits that set someone or something apart from conventional standards
2. A notable individuality marked by eccentric features that contribute to a unique charm or appeal
3. The state or quality of having unusual or unexpected traits that make someone or something stand out from the ordinary

Etymology: Quirkiness is a plain formation: the adjective "quirky" with the suffix "-ness" attached, which turns a quality into a noun. The suffix itself is very old. It descends from a Proto-Germanic form that was used to build abstract nouns, passed through Old English as "-nes" and Middle English as "-nesse", and it has been the standard way English makes a state or quality out of an adjective ever since. Words like "kindness" and "darkness" follow the same pattern. The base word "quirky" is the more interesting piece. It is built from "quirk" with the adjectival suffix "-y", and the "-y" in turn traces back through Old English and Germanic forms to an ancient ending that formed adjectives from nouns. So "quirkiness" stacks two suffixes on one root: the first makes a quality out of a thing, the second makes a quality out of that quality. The meaning of the whole word follows the sense of "quirk", a turn or peculiarity, so "quirkiness" names the condition of having such turns: the trait of being distinctively odd rather than merely wrong.

Synonyms: eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, peculiarities, strangeness, uniqueness

Antonyms: normality, conformity, ordinariness, regularity, uniformity