dumbness

• dumbnesse (obsolete)

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

dumbness (usually uncountable, plural dumbnesses)

1. (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, “Sissy's Job”, in The House of All Sorts:

     He was a deaf-mute. His dumbness did not seem to matter when we were boys.

2. (dated) Muteness, silence; abstention from speech.
   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     There was speech in their dumbness.

3. (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, [Act I, scene i]:

     To the dumbness of the gesture one might interpret.

4. (informal) The quality of being stupid or foolish.

• dumbhood

• artificial dumbness

• dumb
• dumb-show