Where does “criminally” come from?
Criminally comes from Middle English -ly added to Old English -līċ, which derives from Latin criminalis, formed with the Latin suffix -alis from Latin crimen, ultimately rooted in Proto-Indo-European elements meaning "to lie" and "together."
criminally (English): In a criminal manner
Definitions
- In a criminal manner
Ancestry of “criminally”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | criminal | Against the law; forbidden by law; Guilty of... |
| 2 | Middle English | cryminal | Relating to crime or illegal actions; criminal;... |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | criminal | criminal; illegal; against the law |
| 4 | Latin | crīminālis | criminal |
| 5 | Latin | crīmen | a judicial decision, verdict, or judgment |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | kreimen | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kréymn̥ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | krey- | to sift, separate, divide |