'paleness' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'palenes,' where 'pale' meant 'light in color' and '-ness' was a suffix indicating a state or condition.

'palenes' transformed into the modern English word 'paleness' through the addition of the suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'pale.'

Initially, it meant 'the state of being light in color,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.