Where does “cruelly” come from?
Cruelly derives from Middle English cruelly, formed from the adjective cruel and the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, which descends from Old English -līċ, ultimately from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "like" and Latin crudus meaning "raw."
cruelly (English): In a cruel manner
Ancestry of “cruelly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cruel | Intentionally causing or reveling in pain and... |
| 2 | French | cruel | cruel; hard, painful |
| 3 | Spanish | cruel | cruel |
| 4 | Latin | crūdēlis | — |
| 5 | Latin | crūdus | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | krewh₂- | blood outside the body |