Where does “hardly” come from?
Hardly comes from Middle English hardely, from Old English heardlīċe, meaning in a hard or severe manner.
hardly (English): Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion;...
Definitions
- Firmly, vigorously, with strength or exertion;...
Ancestry of “hardly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hardely | — |
| 2 | Old English | heardlīċe | boldly; hardily; without ease; in a way that... |
| 3 | Old English | -līċe | — |
| 4 | Old English | -e | forming adverbs from adjectives; -ly |
| 5 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |