'productiveness' originates from English, specifically formed from the adjective 'productive' plus the suffix '-ness'; 'productive' ultimately comes from Latin 'productivus', where the prefix 'pro-' meant 'forward' and the root 'ducere' (found in 'produce') meant 'to lead'.

'productiveness' developed in Modern English by adding the Old English-derived suffix '-ness' to the adjective 'productive'; 'productive' itself came into English via Late Latin/Middle French from Latin 'productivus', from the past participle 'productus' of 'producere'.

Initially the Latin roots conveyed the idea 'to lead forth' or 'bring forth'; over time the sense shifted to 'bringing forth results, yield, or output', and 'productiveness' came to denote the quality or degree of being productive.