Where does “briefly” come from?
Briefly derives from Middle English brevely, combining Middle English -ly (from Old English -līċ) with Latin brevis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus meaning short.
briefly (English): In a brief manner, summarily; For a brief period;...
Definitions
- In a brief manner, summarily; For a brief period;...
Ancestry of “briefly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | breefly | Alternative form of brevely |