Wannesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The qualities or states of being pale, weak, or lacking vitality; the appearances or conditions of having a sickly or unhealthy complexion; the manifestations of faintness or deficiency in color and strength
2. Conditions characterized by a lack of brightness or robustness in skin tone; the presentations of feebleness or diminished energy; the observable features indicating pallor or lifelessness
3. States in which paleness and fragility are evident; descriptions of an appearance marked by unhealthy or washed-out coloration; indications of reduced vigor or a wan complexion

Etymology: Wanness descends from an Old English adjective, "wann," meaning dark, gloomy or sickly, and its meaning has moved steadily toward pallor. The Proto-Germanic root "*wannaz" likely carried the sense of dark or dusky, so the earliest picture was of gloom rather than of a pale face. Over the centuries "wan" narrowed to describe a complexion drained of colour, and that is the sense the noun now carries. The noun itself is built in English from "wan" and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. "Wan" passed through Middle English as "wanne," and by the Middle Ages the abstract form "wannesse" was in use, giving the modern "wanness" in its descriptive sense. The plural "wannesses" simply counts separate instances or appearances of that quality, as when a writer lists several signs of illness.

Synonyms: palenesses, sickliness

Antonyms: healthiness, robustness