novelty

The word "novelty" traces its lineage to the Latin adjective novus, meaning "new". The diminutive form novellus (rather new, young) passed into Old French as novel, which English adopted in the 14th century. The suffix -ty, originating from the Latin abstract noun suffix -tatem, was attached to form a noun indicating the state or quality of being new. Thus, the literal construction "the state of being new" evolved from a concrete descriptor into an abstract concept denoting originality, and later, by semantic extension, to a physical object that embodies that newness.

Structure: novel (new) + ty (state or quality) - novel: From Latin novellus (new, young), a diminutive of novus (new). Functions as the core root conveying the meaning of "newness". - ty: A suffix from Old French -té, from Latin -tatem (nominative -tas), denoting a state, condition, or quality. Functions as a noun-forming suffix.