Ness

Named after the River Ness, of Celtic/Pictish origin, from a Proto-Celtic word *Nesta describing great currents, according to MacBain, from the same Proto-Indo-European root that gave the river Νέστος (Néstos), possibly *ned- (“water”).^[1]

• enPR: nĕs, IPA^(key): /nɛs/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛs

Ness (countable and uncountable, plural Nesses)

1. (Irish mythology) An Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa.
2. A placename:
   1. A suburban village in Neston parish, Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire, England (OS grid ref SJ3076).
   2. The northernmost area on the Isle of Lewis, Western Isles council area, Scotland.
   3. A short river in Highland council area, Scotland, which flows from Loch Ness through Inverness to the Beauly Firth; in full, River Ness.
   4. Ellipsis of Ness City.
   5. Ellipsis of Ness County.
3. A surname.

• sens, NSSE, ENSs, SNES, SE SN, ESNs, Sens., Sens

• Nöss, Nöst, Nost (parts of Eifel)
• Nest (other Moselle Franconian)

From Middle High German nist, byform of nest, from Proto-Germanic *nestą, *nistą. Virtually all Central Franconian dialects (as well as some bordering ones in Rhine and Low Franconian) show the underlying vowel i (hence /nes/, not /nɛs/).

• IPA^(key): /nes/

Ness n (plural Nester, diminutive Nessje)

1. nest