Hickishness

/ˈhɪkɪʃnəs/ noun

Definition

The quality or state of being hickish; the character or behavior associated with rural or unsophisticated people.

Etymology

Formed from 'hickish' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness' (which creates abstract nouns from adjectives). This allows the adjective to become a countable quality that can be measured or discussed as a characteristic.

Kelly Says

The fact that English speakers felt they needed this word shows how real they thought the distinction between urban and rural was—so real that they gave it its own noun. Language often reveals what societies think is important enough to name explicitly.

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