possessionlessness en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /pəˈzɛʃn̩.ləs.nəs/ (UK)
Etymology
Etymology tree English possession Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English possessionless Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną 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 possessionlessness From possessionless + -ness.
Meanings
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(uncountable) The state or condition of having no possessions.
Their rebellion . . . translated their dispossession into the free possessionlessness of childhood.
1992, Francesca Polletta, “Politicizing Childhood: The 1980 Zurich Burns Movement”, in Social Text, number 33, page 95:Olivi in his commentary on the Apocalypse sanctified Francisan poverty, in the extreme form of absolute penury as well as possessionlessness attributed by the Franciscan Spirituals to St. Francis.
1996, Gordon Leff, “Review of Olivi's Peaceable Kingdom. A Reading of the Apocalypse Commentary by David Burr”, in The English Historical Review, volume 111, number 442, page 682:More appropriate here is a definition of poverty as "possessionlessness," an understanding conveyed by the Pāli term akiñcana ("without anything," "lacking possessions").
1996, Mavis Fenn, “Two Notions of Poverty in the Pāli Canon,”, in Journal of Buddhist Ethics, volume 3, page 113:
Relateds
have nothing to lose · possessionless · you will own nothing and be happy