speechlessness

English

Etymology

speechless +‎ -ness

Noun

speechlessness (plural speechlessnesses)

1. The state of being speechless.
   • 1907, Barbara Baynton, edited by Sally Krimmer and Alan Lawson, Human Toll (Portable Australian Authors: Barbara Baynton), St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, published 1980, page 233:

     'No - rather not, my dear? Well, another night,' he said, hastily translating her speechlessness.

   • 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 16:

     It was her virtue to be tall, pale, characterless and effaced by partial speechlessness.

Usage notes

• Plural is rare.

Translations

state of being speechless

• Afrikaans: spraakloosheid
• Esperanto: senparoleco, muteco
• German: Sprachlosigkeit (de) f, Stummheit (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀλαλία f (alalía)