Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “malevolently” come from?

malevolently (English) comes from English malevolent, from Middle English malevolent, from Old French malivolent, from Latin malevolēns, from Latin male, from Latin malus, from Ancient Greek μηλέα, from Ancient Greek μῆλον — small animal”; small animal.

malevolently (English): In a malevolent manner

Definitions

  1. In a malevolent manner

Ancestry of “malevolently”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishmalevolenthaving or displaying ill will; wishing harm on...
2Middle Englishmalevolent—
3Old Frenchmalivolent—
4Latinmalevolēns—
5Latinmalebadly; wrongly; cruelly, wickedly
6Latinmalusunpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad;...
7Ancient Greekμηλέα—
8Ancient Greekμῆλονapple; any fruit from a tree; a woman's breast
9Proto-Indo-European(s)meh₁l-small animal”; small animal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- →