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