The word 'visuality' is a modern formation, constructed from the well-established adjective 'visual' and the abstract noun-forming suffix '-ity'. The core root traces back to the Latin verb vidēre, meaning 'to see', which itself originates from the Proto-Indo-European root weid-, meaning 'to see' or 'to know', a root that also gives us words like 'vision', 'evident', and 'wisdom'. The suffix '-ity', borrowed via Old French from Latin -itās, systematically converts adjectives into nouns denoting a state or quality. Therefore, 'visuality' logically builds from the concept of 'relating to sight' to name the abstract 'quality of being visual', a term often used in art criticism and media studies to discuss the distinctive nature and impact of visual perception and representation.

Structure: visual (relating to sight) + ity (quality or state) - visual: From Latin visus (sight, thing seen), from the verb vidēre (to see). Functions as the adjectival root. - ity: From Latin -itās, a suffix forming nouns indicating a state or condition. Functions as a noun-forming suffix.