[1570–80; ‹ ML meliōritās, equiv. to L meliōr- (s. of melior) better + -itās-ity]This word is first recorded in the period 1570–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: cartridge, deadhead, repeater, skeleton, split-ity is a suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state or condition. Other wordsthat use the affix -ity include: Latinity, civility, jollity