Profundity
/prəˈfʌn.dɪ.ti/noun
The quality of being deep, profound, or intellectually penetrating.
Did you know?Its root is the Latin *profundus*, used for both literal depths and figurative “deep” thoughts, which is why English still treats depth as a metaphor for wisdom.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhendh-
“to bind, to sink, to be at the bottom”
Latin
Latin
profundus
“deep, bottomless; extended far down”
Late Latin
Latin
profunditas
“depth, depth of thought”
Old French
Old French
profundité
“depth, profundity”
Middle English
English
profundite
“depth, deepness of thought”
Modern English
English
profundity
“the quality of being profound or deeply insightful”