Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Worthy” come from?

Worthy derives from Middle English worthy, formed with the Middle English suffix -y from Middle French -ie, Latin -ium, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root wer-.

Ancestry of “Worthy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
2EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
3Middle Englishgrisely—
4Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
5Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
6Proto-Germanic*-līk—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →