niceness
UK[ˈnaɪsnəs]US[ˈnaɪsnəs]
n
the quality of being pleasant, agreeable, or kind.
n
a detail or aspect that is subtle or precise, often excessively so.
Morpheme Breakdown
nice
ness
nice
pleasant
ness
state or quality
Etymology
the word 'niceness' presents a fascinating journey from a meaning of ignorance to one of pleasantness. its core, 'nice', entered english from old french 'nice', which itself descended from latin 'nescius', meaning 'ignorant' (from 'ne-' 'not' + 'scire' 'to know'). in middle english, it evolved through stages meaning 'foolish, simple' to 'precise, delicate', before settling on its modern positive sense of 'pleasant'. the suffix '-ness', of germanic origin, is a prolific english noun-forming element that attaches to adjectives to create abstract nouns denoting a state or quality, thus transforming 'nice' into the abstract quality of 'niceness'.
Analysis
Structure: nice (pleasant) + ness (state or quality)
"nice" (from old french, ultimately from latin 'nescius' meaning 'ignorant'); "ness" (from old english '-nes', a noun-forming suffix denoting state or quality).
Examples
her general niceness made her very popular among her colleagues.
i was taken aback by the sheer niceness of everyone in the small town.
the argument descended into a debate about the legal niceties of the contract.