Where does “guardedly” come from?
Guardedly is derived from English guarded with the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, itself from Old English -līċ meaning "like" or "having the form of," from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "to lie" and "together."
guardedly (English): In a guarded manner
Ancestry of “guardedly”, 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 | — |