the.com/fondness

affection's gentle cousin, too shy to scream love but warm enough to mean it

means A warm, tender liking for someone or something — a soft, settled affection that's more glow than blaze.

from From Middle English 'fond,' which once meant 'foolish' or 'infatuated' — itself from 'fonned,' the past participle of the verb 'fonnen,' to be silly or doting. The leap from foolishness to tenderness is fitting: to be fond was first to be foolishly besotted, and only later did the foolishness fade, leaving the warmth behind. Add the noun-making '-ness,' and you have the gentle state of caring.

old root
From 'fonned,' meaning foolish or infatuated
once an insult
To be fond once meant to be silly
softer scale
Sits between liking and loving, no pressure
memory glue
Nostalgia is just fondness aimed backward in time
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