towardlinessn.
Now dialect or archaic.
The quality or character of being ‘towardly’.† 4. Likelihood, likely condition or position, prospect; in such phrases as in great towardliness, very likely. (Cf. towardness n. 3) Obsolete.
1. Good disposition towards something, willingness; spec. aptness to learn, docility, tractableness; forwardness in learning, ‘promise’; ingenuity, proficiency: = towardness n. 1, 2.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > willingness > [noun]
willOE
goodwilllOE
wilfulnessa1398
freenessc1400
freedoma1425
towardness1461
willingness1535
towardlinessa1569
fitness1604
inclinableness1608
lubency1623
pronenessa1640
libence1654
promptitude1712
allubescency1727
willinghood1841
unhesitatingness1876
the world > action or operation > ability > [noun] > mental > aptness to learn
capacity1485
towardness1509
towardlinessa1569
aptness1598
a1569 A. Kingsmill Conf. containing Conflict with Satan 25 in Most Excellent & Comfortable Treat. (new ed.) (1578) Such as haue no towardlinesse nor framing of their hearts..to do the will of God.
1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 360 [He] appointed eight hundred of the Christian children, in whom appeared most towardlinesse, to be brought vp for Ianizaries.
1612 J. Brinsley Ludus Lit. sig. A2 All schollars of any towardlinesse and diligence may be made absolute Grammarians, and euery way fit for the Vniuersitie, by fifteen yeares of age.
1735–6 T. Carte Hist. Life Duke Ormonde I. Introd. 65 The loss of his only son, a noble young gentleman and of great towardliness.
1830 W. Godwin Cloudesley III. i. 3 I had children that improved every day in towardliness and beauty.
2. Favourableness, friendliness, affability.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [noun]
friendshipOE
friendliheada1393
fellowshipa1400
friendsomenessa1400
study?c1400
friendlinessc1475
stomach1476
friendlihood1481
towardliness1566
friending1596
amicability1643
amicableness1646
amicality1836
palliness1904
mateyness1915
matehood1924
palsy-walsiness1942
1566 Mary Queen of Scots Let. in J. Melville Mem. (1735) 144 Touching our Towardliness to them of the Religion.
1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 573 The great towardlinesse and courteous nature of the Turkish emperour.
3. Furtherance, advancement, promotion.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > continuing > progress, advance, or further continuance > [noun] > state of advancement towards completion
towardness1475
forwardness1523
advancement1540
onwardness1548
towardliness1553
prolation1610
forwardliness1647
mid-career1720
advolution1883
the world > action or operation > continuing > progress, advance, or further continuance > furtherance > [noun]
furtheringc1000
advancementc1325
nourishingc1325
speedingc1400
promotion1425
vauncingc1426
furtherancec1440
expedition1445
preferment1454
further1526
profection1533
towardliness1553
maturation1584
comforting1605
forwarding1635
advance1642
promotement1661
forwardness1741
fosterage1816
1553 S. Cabot in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) i. 262 In towardlines of beneficiall traffike.
1651 T. Manton Pract. Comm. James (iv. 15) 509 If God suspend his concurrence, the creatures cannot act, at least not with any towardliness and success.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > probability, likelihood > [noun]
weenOE
likeliheadc1405
likelinessc1405
likelihood1427
probabilityc1443
probablenessc1443
likehood1525
towardness1549
main chance1577
towardliness1579
1579–80 T. North tr. Plutarch Lives (1676) 297 Cato put out of the Senate also, one Manlius, who was in great towardliness to have been made Consull.
1655 J. Owen Vindiciæ Evangelicæ in Wks. (1853) XII. 192 The signs..that he would be exalted to a Kingdom. He was by them in a good towardliness for it.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online September 2019).
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