[1840–50, Amer.;gone + -ness]This word is first recorded in the period 1840–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: flan, pylon, sensationalism, striation, warmup-ness is a suffix attached to adjectives and participles, forming abstract nouns denotingquality and state. Other words that use the affix -ness include: consciousness, crashworthiness, forwardness, nothingness, unpleasantness