† ednessn.

Etymology: Either (i) the reflex of an unattested Old English derivative *ēadnes < ēad happiness, prosperity, wealth (see note) + -ness suffix, or (ii) a variant of eadiness n. at eady adj. Derivatives, with reduction and loss of the second syllable. Compare eady adj. and the Germanic cognates cited at that entry.Cognates of ēad. Old English ēad is coɡnate with Old Saxon ōd , Old High German ōt wealth (perhaps compare Middle High German kleinōt jewel, gem, German Kleinod ), Old Icelandic auðr wealth, abundance, and Gothic auda- (in auda-hafts fortunate); its further etymology is uncertain. Possible attestation of *ēadnes. The form eadnys in the following example has sometimes been taken as showing Old English *ēadnes (see derivation (i) above):OE Rune Poem (transcript of lost MS) 12 [Os] byþ..wisdomes wraþu and witena frofur, and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht.However, it has alternatively been interpreted as a form of ēaðnes , itself a by-form (without i-mutation of the vowel in the first element) of Old English īeðnes ease, pleasure ( < īeðe easy (see eath adj.) + -ness suffix). It is uncertain whether d in eadnys should be regarded as a scribal error (or transcription error), or as genuinely showing a voiced stop. Although a voiced stop is attested for edmede n., edmod adj., and related words, it seems to be unparalleled for any other words derived from eath adj. or its base (which also makes it unlikely that early Middle English attestations of ednesse could show a reflex of Old English īeðnes).