Where does “devoutly” come from?
Devoutly derives from Middle English -ly added to devout, which comes from Old English -līċ attached to Latin devotus, the past participle of devoveo meaning to dedicate or consecrate, formed from the prefix de- and a root also found in Latin de.
devoutly (English): In a devout manner
Ancestry of “devoutly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | devout | Devoted to religion or to religious feelings and... |
| 2 | Middle English | devout | devout; sacred, holy |
| 3 | Old French | devot | — |
| 4 | Latin | dēvotus | — |
| 5 | Latin | devoveo | I vow, offer; promise; devote, dedicate; I mark... |
| 6 | Latin | dē- | — |
| 7 | Latin | dē | — |
| 8 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 9 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | posti | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |