Where does “godly” come from?
Godly comes from Old English -līċ attached to God, which derives from Proto-Germanic gōdaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʰedʰ- meaning "to unite" and ḱóm meaning "together."
godly (English): Of or pertaining to a god; Devoted to a god or...
Definitions
- Of or pertaining to a god; Devoted to a god or...
Ancestry of “godly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | God | A being such as a monotheistic God: a single... |
| 2 | Middle English | god | A god or deity; a divine individual; A person... |
| 3 | Old English | gōd | a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |