The story
- Old English · inherited frommiċelnes
- Middle English · inherited frommuchelnesse
- English todaymuchness
From Middle English muchelnesse, michelnesse (“greatness, magnitude”), from Old English miċelnes, myċelnes (“greatness, size, mass, quantity, multitude, abundance, magnificence, great deed”), equivalent to much + -ness. Cognate with Old High German michilnessi (“greatness, magnitude”). Compare also mickleness.
Words from the same roots
Old Englishmiċelnes all →
mickleness
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.