Vastness
/ˈvæst.nəs/noun
The quality of being extremely large or spacious.
Did you know?English vast ultimately comes from Latin vastus, meaning not just “wide” but also “desolate,” “waste,” or “laid waste,” so the word carries an ancient shadow of ruin inside its scale.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
vastus
“Empty, desolate, waste, or immense”
Late Latin
Latin
vastare
“To lay waste, devastate”
Old French
Old French
vaste
“Waste, empty, huge”
Middle English
English
vast
“Very great in size or extent”
Modern English
English
vastness
“The state or quality of being vast”