Schrewednesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Archaic term for evil nature or wicked intent in a person ; an old word for sharp cleverness and cunning in judging or handling situations
2. Obsolete word for depraved character or spiteful malice ; a former term for astute craftiness and a keen, calculating mind
3. A medieval English noun meaning wickedness or ill will toward others ; a historical sense denoting canny, sly cleverness in dealings

Etymology: Schrewednesse is a Middle English noun meaning "shrewishness," the quality of being a shrew, that is, a bad-tempered, scolding, or quarrelsome woman. It was formed by adding the suffix "-ness" to "shrewe," the Middle English form of "shrew," which itself was a mild word for a person of bad temper before it became mostly an insult for a woman. The "-ness" ending, from Old English "-nes," is the same suffix that turns "good" into "goodness," so the word is a straightforward compound of a base noun and a suffix rather than a borrowing. The base word has an unexpected history. "Shrew" originally named a small mouse-like shrew animal, and its association with a bad-tempered woman seems to have grown from the idea of a snappish, troublesome creature. The spelling "schrewednesse" reflects a Middle English form with an "-ed-" element carried over from the adjective "shrewed," meaning "cursed" or "wicked," which later faded from use.

Synonyms: shrewdness, astuteness, cunning, craftiness, acuteness

Antonyms: naivety, foolishness