Where does “dastardly” come from?
Dastardly comes from Middle English dastard combined with the Old English adverbial suffix -līċ, derived from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "like" or "in the manner of," itself from Proto-Indo-European roots.
dastardly (English): in the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice;...
Definitions
- in the manner of a dastard; marked by cowardice;...
Ancestry of “dastardly”, 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 | — |
Words derived from “dastardly”