Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mechanically” come from?

Mechanically derives from English mechanical plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, from Old English -līċ meaning "like," from Proto-Germanic -līkaz and galīkaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.

mechanically (English): In a mechanical manner

Definitions

  1. In a mechanical manner

Ancestry of “mechanically”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
2EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
3Middle Englishgrisely—
4Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
5Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
6Proto-Germanic*-līk—

Words derived from “mechanically”

  • nanomechanically
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →