Where does “diametrically” come from?
Diametrically is the adverbial form of diametric, from Middle English -ally, a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives.
diametrically (English): Separated by a diameter, on exactly the opposite...
Definitions
- Separated by a diameter, on exactly the opposite...
Ancestry of “diametrically”, 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 | — |