Kindliness
/ˈkaɪnd.li.nəs/noun
The quality of being kind, gentle, and considerate.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Proto-Germanic *kundiz, meaning “natural, native, of the same family,” so its earliest sense was less “sweetness” and more “what belongs to your own kind.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth, produce”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kundiz / *kundi-
“born, native, of the same family or nature”
Old English
OE
cynd
“nature, race, family, kind”
Middle English
ME
kind(e)
“natural, gracious, benevolent; also lineage or nature”
Middle English
ME
kindeliche / kindely
“in a kind or natural manner; kindly”
Modern English
English
kindliness
“the quality of being kind or benevolent”