Kindness
/ˈkaɪndnəs/noun
The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Did you know?In Old English, the ancestor of kind meant not just “benevolent,” but also “natural,” “native,” and “belonging to one’s own race or family,” so kindness began as a word about what is fitting and born-from-the-same-source.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth, produce”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kundiz
“born, native, of the same family”
Old English
OE
cynd
“nature, race, family, kind”
Middle English
ME
kyndenesse
“natural disposition; benevolence; gracious behavior”
Modern English
English
kindness
“the quality of being kind”