Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “deathly” come from?

Deathly derives from Middle English dethlich, from Old English dēaþlīċ, a compound of death and a suffix forming adjectives.

deathly (English): Appearing as though dead, or on the verge of...

Definitions

  1. Appearing as though dead, or on the verge of...

Ancestry of “deathly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdethlich—
2Old Englishdēaþlīċ—

Words derived from “deathly”

  • deathlily
Every word from Old English dēaþlīċ →