Where does “devastatingly” come from?

Devastatingly comes from English devastate, from Latin devastatus (past participle of devasto, meaning to lay waste), from Latin de- (prefix meaning away) and an unattested root.

devastatingly (English): In a devastating manner

Definitions

  1. In a devastating manner

Ancestry of “devastatingly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishdevastatingcausing devastation; present participle of...
2EnglishdevastateTo ruin many or all things over a large area,...
3Latindēvastātusdevastated
4Latindēvastōto lay waste, devastate
5Latindē-of; from
6Latinof; concerning; about
7Latinpostbehind; after, since, besides, except; behind,...
8Latinposteablative singular of postis
9Proto-Italicpostibehind, after
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpóstiafter
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpósafterwards, post; by, at
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pósEvery word from Latin dē-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pósti
devastatingly — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer