ornateness en · NOUN
Etymology
Etymology tree English ornate Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English ornateness From ornate + -ness.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) The state of being ornate.
From the prevailing colonial perspective, the English of the babus was error-ridden and characterised by over-elaborate ornateness, and for these ‘transgressions’ it became the butt of native-speaker ridicule.
2014, James Lambert, “Diachronic stability in Indian English lexis”, in World Englishes, page 116:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ornatenesses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |