dumbness

English

Etymology

From Middle English dombenesse, from Old English dumbnes; equivalent to dumb +‎ -ness. Cognate with Old Frisian dumbnisse (“folly, dumbness”).

Noun

dumbness (usually uncountable, plural dumbnesses)

(dated) The state of being mute: that is, of not communicating vocally, whether from selective mutism (refusal to speak) or from an inability to speak.
- 1944, Emily Carr, The House of All Sorts, "Sissy's Job,"
  He was a deaf-mute. His dumbness did not seem to matter when we were boys.
(dated) Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
- c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The VVinters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:
  There was speech in their dumbness.
(dated) Show or gesture without words; pantomime; dumb-show.
- c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:
  To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.
(informal) The quality of being stupid or foolish.

Derived terms

artificial dumbness

Related terms

dumb
dumb-show

Translations

the state of being mute

Aramaic:
Classical Syriac: ܚܪܫܘܬܐ‎
Finnish: tyhmyys (fi)
Georgian: სიმუნჯე (simunǯe)
German: Stummheit (de) f, Mutitas f (medicine)
Irish: bailbhe f, balbhántaíocht f
Italian: mutezza f
Latin: alogia f
Middle English: dombenesse
Romanian: muțenie (ro) f
Russian: немота́ (ru) f (nemotá)
Turkish: dilsizlik (tr)

the quality of being stupid

Russian: тупость (ru) f (tupostʹ), тупизна (ru) f (tupizna)