Where does “eternally” come from?
Eternally comes from Middle English eternally, formed from the Middle English adverb-forming suffix -ly added to an adjective derived from Old English -līċ, ultimately from Latin aeternalis, composed of Latin aevum meaning "age" or "lifetime" with the Latin suffix -alis.
eternally (English): For eternity; forever; Unceasingly, recurringly
Definitions
- For eternity; forever; Unceasingly, recurringly
Ancestry of “eternally”, step by step
eternally traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English eternal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | eternal | Lasting forever; unending; existing outside time;... |
| 2 | Middle English | eternal | Eternal, permanent; having existed forever;... |
| 3 | Old French | eternal | — |
| 4 | Latin | aeternālis | eternal, everlasting, temporally infinite |
| 5 | Latin | aeternus | abiding, lasting, permanent, perpetual; eternal,... |
| 6 | Latin | aevum | time as a single, unified, continuous and... |
| 7 | Latin | aevom | Archaic form of aevum |
| 8 | Old Latin | aivom | time, lifetime; age |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | aiwom | age |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyu- | vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ey- | vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning |
via Middle English eternally
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | eternally | In an eternal, endless, or permanent manner; In a... |