Where does “definitely” come from?
Definitely comes from English definite, from Latin definitus, past participle of Latin definio meaning to set bounds, from Latin de and Latin finis meaning boundary or end, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeygʷ-.
definitely (English): Without question and beyond doubt; In a definite...
Definitions
- Without question and beyond doubt; In a definite...
Ancestry of “definitely”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | definite | Having distinct limits; Free from any doubt;... |
| 2 | Latin | definitus | limited, terminated |
| 3 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 4 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 5 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 6 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 7 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |