Where does “defensively” come from?
Defensively comes from English defensive, Middle French défensif, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, Proto-Germanic galīkaz, and Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.
defensively (English): In a defensive manner
Definitions
- In a defensive manner
Ancestry of “defensively”, 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 | — |