Where does “irregularly” come from?
Irregularly derives from Middle English -ly adverbial suffix added to irregular, from Latin irregularis meaning not ruled or controlled, formed from Latin in- not plus rego to rule, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
irregularly (English): In an irregular manner; without rule, method, or...
Definitions
- In an irregular manner; without rule, method, or...
Ancestry of “irregularly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | irregular | nonstandard; not conforming to rules or... |
| 2 | Old French | irreguler | — |
| 3 | Latin | irrēgulāris | — |
| 4 | Latin | rēgulāris | — |
| 5 | Latin | rēgula | — |
| 6 | Latin | -ula | regō + API → rēgula; tegō + API → tēgula;... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -tlom | Alternative form of *-trom |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -trom | Forms nouns denoting a tool or instrument |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tḗr | Derives agent nouns from verbs, denoting someone... |