intactness
UK[ɪnˈtæktnəs]US[ɪnˈtæktnəs]
n
the state or condition of being complete and not damaged in any way.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
tact
ness
in
not
tact
touch
ness
state of
Etymology
The word 'intactness' is a modern english formation built upon the adjective 'intact'. The core of the word lies in the latin root tact-, from the verb tangere, meaning "to touch". This root is prefixed with the latin negative in-, giving 'intact' its literal meaning of "not touched". The abstract noun 'intactness' is then created by appending the native english suffix '-ness', which converts the adjective into a noun denoting the state or quality. Thus, the word's journey traces from the physical concept of being untouched in latin to the modern abstract concept of being undamaged or whole.
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + tact (touch) + ness (state of)
- in: a latin prefix meaning "not".
- tact: from latin tactus, meaning "touch, sense of touch".
- ness: an english noun-forming suffix from old english -nes(s), denoting a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
The ancient artifact was admired for its remarkable intactness after centuries underground.
The structural intactness of the building was confirmed after the earthquake.
He was concerned about the intactness of the data after the system crash.