Where does “mercifully” come from?
Mercifully derives from Middle English merciful plus the Old English adverbial suffix -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "having the form or nature of," ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European roots relating to likeness and togetherness.
mercifully (English): In a merciful manner; thankfully
Definitions
- In a merciful manner; thankfully
Ancestry of “mercifully”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | merciful | showing mercy |
| 2 | Middle English | merciful | — |
| 3 | Middle English | mercy | Alternative form of mercien |
| 4 | Middle English | -ful | Appended to nouns to form adjectives denoting... |
| 5 | Old English | -ful | full of; -ful |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -fullaz | -ful |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fullaz | full; the whole, the entire |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pl̥h₁nós | full |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |