Dearnesses

/ˈdɪrnəsɪz/ noun

Definition

Plural of dearness; multiple instances or types of being dear or cherished, or multiple instances of expensive cost.

Etymology

Plural form of 'dearness', formed by adding '-es' to the abstract noun, allowing the countable expression of what is typically an uncountable quality.

Kelly Says

Using the plural 'dearnesses' is rare because abstraction usually don't pluralize—but when medieval historians wrote about the 'dearnesses' of different commodities in different seasons, they were treating the concept of expensiveness as something measurable and comparable.

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