elengenesse

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old English ǣlengnes; by surface analysis, elenge (“sad, lonely, strange”) +‎ -nesse (“-ness”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɛˌleːnd͡ʒ(ə)ˌnɛs(ə)/, /ˈɛlind͡ʒ(ə)ˌnɛs(ə)/, /ˈa-/

Noun

elengenesse (uncountable) (Southern, South Midland)

  1. Misery, sadness; the state of being unhappy.
    • ante 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Romaunt of the Rose”, in Walter William Skeat, editor, Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems‎[1], 2nd (1899) edition, Oxford:
      She had a burdoun al of Thefte,
      That Gyle had yeve her of his yefte;
      And a scrippe of Fainte Distresse,
      That ful was of elengenesse
      And forth she walked sobrely:
      And False-Semblant saynt, ie vous die,
      [Had], as it were for such mistere,
      Don on the cope of a frere,
      With chere simple, and ful pitous;
      His looking was not disdeinous,
      Ne proud, but meke and ful pesible.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. Loneliness, isolation; the state of being lonely.
  3. Strangeness, bizarreness; the state of being unusual.

References

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