Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “defensibly” come from?

defensibly (English) comes from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.

defensibly (English): In a defensible manner; Defendably

Definitions

  1. In a defensible manner; Defendably

Ancestry of “defensibly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
2EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
3Middle Englishgrisely—
4Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
5Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
6Proto-Germanic*-līk—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →