Begottenness

/bɪˈɡɑːtənnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of having been begotten or produced; the condition of being born or created.

Etymology

From begotten (past participle of beget) + -ness (suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives). A formal, philosophical term rarely used in modern English.

Kelly Says

Creating abstract nouns with -ness is so productive in English that speakers can potentially turn almost any adjective into a noun—'begottenness' is obscure, but it shows how this pattern allowed philosophers and theologians to discuss abstract concepts like the state of having been created.

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