Where does “heavily” come from?
Heavily comes from Middle English hevely, from Middle English hevyliche, from Old English hefiġlīċe, a adverbial formation based on the adjective for weighty or burdensome.
heavily (English): In a heavy manner; With a great weight; To a...
Definitions
- In a heavy manner; With a great weight; To a...
Ancestry of “heavily”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | hevely | Alternative form of hevyliche |
| 2 | Old English | hefiġlīċe | heavily; grievously |
| 3 | Old English | -līċe | ly (adverbial suffix) |
| 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 |