'artiness' originates from English, specifically formed from the word 'arty' + the suffix '-ness', where 'arty' ultimately derives from Old French 'art' (from Latin 'ars') meaning 'skill' or 'craft'.

'artiness' changed from colloquial formation: Latin 'ars' → Old French 'art' → Middle English 'art', from which the informal adjective 'arty' was coined, and later the noun 'artiness' was formed by adding the nominalizing suffix '-ness'.

Initially associated simply with being 'relating to art' or 'artistic', over time 'artiness' has often come to mean an affected or pretentious display of artistic taste rather than genuine artistry.