Here's a breakdown:
* -ness: This suffix forms abstract nouns from adjectives, indicating a state, quality, or condition. For example, "happy" becomes "happiness," "sad" becomes "sadness," and so on.
* Latin and Greek: While Latin and Greek have contributed many words and suffixes to the English language, "-ness" is a purely Germanic formation.
* Old English: The suffix "-ness" evolved from the Old English suffix "-nes."