Wonderfulnesse

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being marvelous, remarkable, or inspiring wonder in those who observe it
2. A state of being so extraordinary that it fills the beholder with admiration and awe
3. Marvelousness, the condition of something that astonishes and delights the mind

Etymology: "Wonderfulnesse" is an older spelling of "wonderfulness," the quality of being wonderful. Its core is "wonder," from Old English "wundor," which named both an astonishing thing and the feeling of amazement it produced. Marvel has been built into the root from the start. The word is built from native English parts. "-Ful" comes from an Old English element meaning "full of," so "wonderful" originally described something full of wonder. Adding "-ness," another old English suffix that turns an adjective into a noun for a quality, gives "wonderfulness." The spelling with a final "-e" and a double "s" reflects earlier English orthography, when spelling was not standardized and writers added letters freely. The modern form is the same word in a more regular dress.