The quality or state of being cowardly; a lack of courage or bravery.
Noun form of 'craven' created with the suffix '-ness,' which converts adjectives into abstract nouns describing their essential quality. This abstraction allows 'cravenness' to refer to cowardice as a general character trait or condition.
The '-ness' suffix is Old English and creates hundreds of abstract nouns, but 'cravenness' is particularly evocative because it sounds both harsh and contemptuous—perfectly suited to medieval insults!
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