Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “beautifully” come from?

Beautifully derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, which combined with Proto-Germanic galīkaz and Proto-Indo-European līg-, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.

beautifully (English): In a beautiful manner

Definitions

  1. In a beautiful manner

Ancestry of “beautifully”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbeautifulAttractive and possessing beauty; Pleasant;...
2EnglishbeautyThe quality of being attractive, pleasing, fine...
3Middle EnglishbeauteThe quality of being physically appealing;...
4Old Frenchbiautébeauty
5Vulgar Latinbellitasbeauty
6Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
7Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
8LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- →