Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gladly” come from?

Gladly comes from Old English glædlīċe, derived from the adjective glæd meaning bright or shining.

gladly (English): In a glad manner; happily; Willingly; certainly

Definitions

  1. In a glad manner; happily; Willingly; certainly

Ancestry of “gladly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishgladly—
2Old Englishglædlīċegladly
Every word from Old English glædlīċe →