Where does “futilely” come from?
Futilely comes from English futile, from Middle French futile, from Latin futilis meaning "that easily pours out or leaks," ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots relating to pouring and flowing.
futilely (English): In a futile manner
Ancestry of “futilely”, 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 | — |