craziness
UK[ˈkreɪ.zi.nəs]US[ˈkreɪ.zi.nəs]
n
the state or quality of being mentally deranged, especially in a wild or aggressive way.
n
extreme foolishness or irrationality.
Morpheme Breakdown
crazy
ness
crazy
mentally deranged
ness
state or quality
Etymology
the word 'craziness' is built upon the adjective 'crazy', which entered middle english from the old norse verb krasa, meaning "to shatter". this original sense of breaking apart evolved metaphorically to describe a shattered or unsound mind. the germanic suffix '-ness', with its ancient function of forming abstract nouns from adjectives, was then appended. thus, the literal construction "the state of being shattered (in mind)" logically evolved into the modern abstract meanings denoting mental derangement or extreme folly.
Analysis
Structure: crazy (mentally deranged) + ness (state or quality)
crazy: of scandinavian origin (old norse krasa, meaning "to shatter"). functions as the adjective root denoting the core concept of mental unsoundness.
ness: of germanic origin (old english -nes(s), a noun-forming suffix). functions as a suffix that converts an adjective into an abstract noun denoting a state or quality.
Examples
his sudden outburst was a sign of his growing craziness.
there's a method to his craziness that sometimes leads to brilliant ideas.
the sheer craziness of the plan made everyone refuse to participate.