Winsomnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being pleasing, cheerful and charming in a way that easily wins affection
2. An appealing gentleness of manner that draws people warmly toward a person or thing
3. Engaging charm, particularly a sweet and cheerful appeal that delights those who notice it

Etymology: Before it meant charming, winsome meant joyful. Its Old English ancestor, "wynsum," came from "wynn," joy, and the suffix "-sum," meaning "characterised by," so the original sense was something like "full of gladness." The sense of pleasing or engaging others developed later, and the abstract noun built on it shows that shift. The noun is formed the ordinary way, by adding a suffix to the adjective. "Winsomnesse" is an older spelling of "winsomeness," the quality of being winsome. The "-ness" ending is native English, and the final "-e" in this spelling reflects the Middle English habit of writing words with French-style endings. Spellings like this were common before English settled on a standard form, so the word appears in older texts in several variants.