suffixes - Suffix order: -lessness vs -nessless


What is the correct order for combinations of suffixes -less and -ness?


Are they combined in any order, or is there any rule governing a proper usage?



hopelessness
helplessness



But:



weaknessless



A side point; not sure if it is related to above. Although the suffixes -less makes an adjective while -ness makes a noun, it seems that people treat -nessless words as nouns:



What am I missing?



Answer



All existing English words having both -less and -ness endings are of the XXXlessness sort; there are none of the *XXXnessless variety.


For example:



affectlessness, agelessness, aimlessness, airlessness, artlessness, awelessness, baselessness, beardlessness, blamelessness, bonelessness, bootlessness, breathlessness, carelessness, causelessness, cheerlessness, childlessness, classlessness, colourlessness, comfortlessness, curelessness, dreamlessness, effortlessness, emotionlessness, endlessness, expressness, factlessness, faithlessness, faultlessness, fearlessness, gracelessness, groundlessness, guiltlessness, haplessness, harmlessness, heartlessness, heedlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, lawlessness, leglessness, lessness, listlessness, mannerlessness, mercilessness, needlessness, nervelessness, noiselessness, normlessness, presciencelessness, recklessness, regardlessness, relentlessness, remedilessness, remorselessness, restlessness, ruthlessness, senselessness, shamelessness, sightlessness, sinlessness, sleeplessness, songlessness, speechlessness, spiritlessness, spotlessness, tastelessness, thanklessness, thoughtlessness, uselessness, voicelessness, warlessness, watchlessness, worthlessness, wretchlessness.



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