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What is the purpose of the suffix "さ" on adjectives like 美しさ and 多さ?

The former is the title of an essay by Banana Yoshimoto, so I don't have much
context for it. The book editors translated it as "On beauty" which didn't
help me understand what this さ business was all about.

In the case of the latter, she writes:

> "品揃えの多さについつい買い込んでしまい、大荷物を抱えて併設の花屋に行った。"

Which I understand as:

> "There were many goods there that, against my better judgement, I had
> purchased. Carrying the bags I went to the attached flower shop."
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2012-08-31T17:38:20.770
6665
2020-02-19T04:51:23.660
2012-09-22T07:22:38.357
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grammar translation nuances conjugations
What is the purpose of the suffix "さ" on adjectives?
It serves the same purpose as "-ness" in English; making an adjective into a
noun.

> [速]{はや}さ = speed; quickness  
> [高]{たか}さ = height; "tallness"  
> [長]{なが}さ = length; "longness"  
> [新]{あたら}しさ = newness  
> [大]{おお}きさ = size; largeness

and in your case:

> [多]{おお}さ = multitude  
>  [美]{うつく}しさ = beauty

So in this context, the expression means "I, against my better judgement,
bought a **multitude** of goods."
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2012-08-31T18:33:41.403
6666
2020-02-19T04:51:23.660
2020-02-19T04:51:23.660
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answer
As phoenixheart6 wrote, suffix -さ makes a noun from an adjective. I am not
sure if you have a problem with this. But it seems that you have a
misunderstanding about the role of に. In a sentence

> 品揃えの多さについつい買い込んでしまった。

に means “because of.” 買い込む means “to buy many things.” Therefore, it means:

> Because of the variety of goods they sell, I ended up buying too many things
> against my better judgment.
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2012-08-31T22:32:14.747
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2012-08-31T22:32:14.747
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answer