[Vocabulary] Noun ending -ity vs -ness, what is the difference?

[financialwar]

For a lot of adjectives, they can be converted to nouns by adding either -ivy or -ness.

Such as impassive to impassivity or impassiveness, turbid to turbidity or turbidness.

When to use which?

 

[Tdol]

Where two forms exist, sometimes there's a difference, sometimes not- it's a case for dictionaries, I am afraid. -ness nouns are cropping up a lot now as alternatives to existing forms.

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forums, financialwar:-D, and congratulations on giving your thread a great title. Many seasoned posters have yet to get the hang of this.

I doubt if any of us could add to Tdol's reply. Ask again if you have any specific problems.

Rover

 

[financialwar]

Where two forms exist, sometimes there's a difference, sometimes not- it's a case for dictionaries, I am afraid. -ness nouns are cropping up a lot now as alternatives to existing forms.

Thanks for the reply. Dictionaries, in most cases do not list definition for noun derivatives of adjectives, dictionaries just list the noun versions after their adjective headword.