Where does “blandly” come from?
Blandly comes from English bland, from Latin blandus, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Indo-European meld-, mel-, līg-, and ḱóm, ultimately denoting a smooth or gentle quality.
blandly (English): In a bland manner
Ancestry of “blandly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 2 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 3 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 4 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 5 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |