Where does “flatly” come from?
Flatly comes from English flat plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, derived from Old English -līċ, from Frankish flatjan meaning "to make flat," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European plāk- and pelh₂- meaning "to spread."
flatly (English): In a physically flat or level manner; In a...
Definitions
- In a physically flat or level manner; In a...
Ancestry of “flatly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flat | Having no variations in height; Without... |
| 2 | Scots | flet | inner part of a house |
| 3 | Middle English | flet | the floor, ground; a dwelling, habitation, house,... |
| 4 | Old English | flet | the floor, ground; a dwelling, habitation, house,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flatją | a level surface; level ground; the floor of a... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | flataz | flat |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plÁt- | — |