Where does “-ably” come from?
-ably (English) comes from English presumably, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.
-ably (English): Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives...
Definitions
- Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives...
Ancestry of “-ably”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | presumably | able to be sensibly presumed |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |