Where does “flippantly” come from?
Flippantly derives from English flippant with the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, from English flip, which comes from English fillip meaning a sharp blow or gesture, ultimately from Proto-Germanic galīkaz and Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.
flippantly (English): In a flippant manner
Definitions
- In a flippant manner
Ancestry of “flippantly”, 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 | — |