"aboutness" meaning in English

See aboutness in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /əˈbaʊt.nəs/ [US] Forms: aboutnesses [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *bī Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūtō Proto-West Germanic *ūtan Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English aboutness From about + -ness. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|about|-ness|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *ana- Proto-West Germanic *ana- Old English on-? Proto-West Germanic *bī Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-West Germanic *ūtō Proto-West Germanic *ūtan Proto-West Germanic *biūtan Old English būtan Old English onbūtan Middle English aboute English about Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English aboutness [Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*ana-", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "on-", "lang" : "ang" }, { "id" : "preposition", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*bī", "status" : "missing", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*bi-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "gmw-pro" }, { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*úd", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*ūt", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*ūtō", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*ūtan", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*biūtan", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "būtan", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "onbūtan", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "aboute", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "about", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }, { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "denominative", "children" : [ ], "status" : "missing", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-inōną", "lang" : "gem-pro" }, { "id" : "-ness", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "verbal", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "verbal", "children" : [ ], "status" : "redlink", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-dyé-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-atjaną", "lang" : "gem-pro" }, { "id" : "nominative", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "action noun", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-tus", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-þuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-assuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-inassuz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-nassī", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-nes", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-nesse", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-ness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "aboutness", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="aboutness"> From about + -ness. Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} aboutness (countable and uncountable, plural aboutnesses)
  1. The relevance of a text to its reader. Tags: countable, uncountable

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "about",
        "4": "-ness",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *ana-\nProto-West Germanic *ana-\nOld English on-?\nProto-West Germanic *bī\nProto-West Germanic *bi-\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūtō\nProto-West Germanic *ūtan\nProto-West Germanic *biūtan\nOld English būtan\nOld English onbūtan\nMiddle English aboute\nEnglish about\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish aboutness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ana-\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on-\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"id\" : \"preposition\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bī\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bi-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*úd\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtan\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*biūtan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"būtan\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"onbūtan\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"aboute\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"about\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-dyé-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"aboutness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"aboutness\">\nFrom about + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *ana-\nProto-West Germanic *ana-\nOld English on-?\nProto-West Germanic *bī\nProto-West Germanic *bi-\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūtō\nProto-West Germanic *ūtan\nProto-West Germanic *biūtan\nOld English būtan\nOld English onbūtan\nMiddle English aboute\nEnglish about\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish aboutness\nFrom about + -ness.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "aboutnesses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "aboutness (countable and uncountable, plural aboutnesses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the early 20ᵗʰ century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ness",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              129,
              140
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1982, William Cadbury, Leland A. Poague, Film Criticism: A Counter Theory, →ISBN, page 19:",
          "text": "The experience of attending to how a good film works is a matter of understanding the composition and the inexhaustible flow of \"aboutnesses,\" relevancies to the world that emerge from the interaction of qualities of meaningfulness that attend such a web of forms and connotations, such a design.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              40,
              49
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1996, Brian C. O'Connor, Explorations in Indexing and Abstracting, →ISBN, page 147:",
          "text": "Movie critics provide a good example of aboutness judgments. When some critics rave and others pan, it is not because they have seen different physical texts; rather, all the technical knowledge, topical knowledge, emotions and beliefs of each critic are being engaged in the construction of a response to the physical text.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The relevance of a text to its reader."
      ],
      "id": "en-aboutness-en-noun-WLbpT6x-",
      "links": [
        [
          "relevance",
          "relevance"
        ],
        [
          "text",
          "text"
        ],
        [
          "reader",
          "reader"
        ],
        [
          "The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles",
          "w:Shorter Oxford English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "Oxford University Press",
          "w:Oxford University Press"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbaʊt.nəs/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "aboutness"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "about",
        "4": "-ness",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *ana-\nProto-West Germanic *ana-\nOld English on-?\nProto-West Germanic *bī\nProto-West Germanic *bi-\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūtō\nProto-West Germanic *ūtan\nProto-West Germanic *biūtan\nOld English būtan\nOld English onbūtan\nMiddle English aboute\nEnglish about\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish aboutness\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ana-\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"on-\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"id\" : \"preposition\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bī\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bi-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*úd\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtō\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ūtan\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*biūtan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"būtan\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"onbūtan\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"aboute\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"about\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"denominative\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inōną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"-ness\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"redlink\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-dyé-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-atjaną\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"nominative\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"action noun\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tus\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-þuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-assuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-inassuz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-nassī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-nes\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-nesse\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"aboutness\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"aboutness\">\nFrom about + -ness.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *ana-\nProto-West Germanic *ana-\nOld English on-?\nProto-West Germanic *bī\nProto-West Germanic *bi-\nProto-Indo-European *úd\nProto-Germanic *ūt\nProto-West Germanic *ūtō\nProto-West Germanic *ūtan\nProto-West Germanic *biūtan\nOld English būtan\nOld English onbūtan\nMiddle English aboute\nEnglish about\nProto-Germanic *-inōną\nProto-Indo-European *-dyé-\nProto-Germanic *-atjaną\nProto-Indo-European *-tus\nProto-Germanic *-þuz\nProto-Germanic *-assuz\nProto-Germanic *-inassuz\nProto-West Germanic *-nassī\nOld English -nes\nMiddle English -nesse\nEnglish -ness\nEnglish aboutness\nFrom about + -ness.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "aboutnesses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "aboutness (countable and uncountable, plural aboutnesses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "attestations": [
        {
          "date": "First attested in the early 20ᵗʰ century.",
          "references": []
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with etymology texts",
        "English entries with etymology trees",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ep-",
        "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *úd",
        "English terms suffixed with -ness",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English uncountable nouns",
        "Pages using etymon with no ID",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Pages with etymology trees"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              129,
              140
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1982, William Cadbury, Leland A. Poague, Film Criticism: A Counter Theory, →ISBN, page 19:",
          "text": "The experience of attending to how a good film works is a matter of understanding the composition and the inexhaustible flow of \"aboutnesses,\" relevancies to the world that emerge from the interaction of qualities of meaningfulness that attend such a web of forms and connotations, such a design.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              40,
              49
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1996, Brian C. O'Connor, Explorations in Indexing and Abstracting, →ISBN, page 147:",
          "text": "Movie critics provide a good example of aboutness judgments. When some critics rave and others pan, it is not because they have seen different physical texts; rather, all the technical knowledge, topical knowledge, emotions and beliefs of each critic are being engaged in the construction of a response to the physical text.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The relevance of a text to its reader."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "relevance",
          "relevance"
        ],
        [
          "text",
          "text"
        ],
        [
          "reader",
          "reader"
        ],
        [
          "The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles",
          "w:Shorter Oxford English Dictionary"
        ],
        [
          "Oxford University Press",
          "w:Oxford University Press"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əˈbaʊt.nəs/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "aboutness"
}

Download raw JSONL data for aboutness meaning in English (8.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-06-07 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-06-01 using wiktextract (e79dea5 and 7f4db16). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.