'purposelessness' originates from the English word 'purpose,' combined with the suffix '-less' meaning 'without,' and '-ness' indicating a state or condition.

'purpose' changed from the Old French word 'purpos,' which was derived from the Latin word 'propositum,' and eventually became the modern English word 'purpose.'

Initially, it meant 'a state of being without a purpose,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.