Where does “benevolently” come from?
Benevolently comes from Middle English -ly, Latin benevolens (from Latin bene and Latin bonus), tracing through Proto-Indo-European līg-, ḱóm, and gʷelH-, ultimately deriving from roots meaning "well" and "good."
benevolently (English): In a benevolent manner
Definitions
- In a benevolent manner
Ancestry of “benevolently”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | benevolent | Having a disposition to do good; Possessing or... |
| 2 | Old French | benevolent | — |
| 3 | Latin | benevolens | kind, wishing well, benevolent, friendly, with a... |
| 4 | Latin | bene | well; properly, exactly; agreeably, favorably |
| 5 | Latin | bonus | good, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant;... |
| 6 | Old Latin | duenos | Alternative form of duonus |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | dwenos | good |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dew- | to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be... |