Where does “beggarly” come from?
Beggarly comes from Middle English -ly added to beggar, which derives from Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "body" and "to fit together."
beggarly (English): In the manner of a beggar; poverty-stricken;...
Definitions
- In the manner of a beggar; poverty-stricken;...
Ancestry of “beggarly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | beggar | A person who begs; A person suffering from... |
| 2 | Middle English | beggere | A beggar one who begs for alms |
| 3 | Middle English | beggen | to beg |
| 4 | Old English | becgan | — |
| 5 | Old English | bedecian | to beg |
| 6 | Old English | bedu | request; prayer; supplication; religious worship |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | betuyā | birch |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷetu-yo-s | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |