Where does “impossibly” come from?
Impossibly comes from Middle English -ly added to Latin impossibilis, formed from Latin in- (not) and a root traced to Proto-Indo-European origins meaning negation and combination.
impossibly (English): Not possibly; in an impossible manner; To the...
Definitions
- Not possibly; in an impossible manner; To the...
Ancestry of “impossibly”, 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 | — |