Where does “devilishly” come from?
Devilishly derives from English devilish plus the adverbial suffix -ly, ultimately from Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, and Ancient Greek διάβολος meaning "slanderer" or "adversary."
devilishly (English): In a devilish manner
Ancestry of “devilishly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | devilish | Resembling a devil; Characteristic of a devil;... |
| 2 | Middle English | develissh | devilish, hellish |
| 3 | Middle English | devel | Satan, Lucifer; A devil; an evil creature that... |
| 4 | Old English | dēofol | demon |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | diubul | devil |
| 6 | Latin | diabolus | devil |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | διάβολος | slanderous; libellous; slanderer; the Devil |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | διαβάλλω | throw over or across; set at variance, make a... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | δῐᾰ- | apart; through, across; through; in different... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | διά | throughout |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dwís | twice, doubly; in two |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | dwóh₁ | two |