Where does “hopelessly” come from?

Hopelessly derives from English hopeless, combining English hope from Icelandic hóp and Old English -lēas (meaning without), ultimately tracing through Proto-Germanic galīkaz and Proto-Indo-European ḱóm and kewb-.

hopelessly (English): In a manner showing no hope

Definitions

  1. In a manner showing no hope

Ancestry of “hopelessly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhopelessWithout hope; despairing; not expecting anything...
2English-less(something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun
3Middle English-lesLacking (something); without (something)
4Turkish-lewith, shortened form of ile; by, shortened form...
5Turkishilewith; and
6Ottoman Turkishایلهby
7Old Anatolian Turkishاِیلَه
8Proto-Turkicbilewith, together, also
Every word from Proto-Turkic bileEvery word from English -lessEvery word from Middle English -les