Where does “nearly” come from?
Nearly derives from Middle English -ly affixed to near, which comes from Old English -līċ attached to a root from Proto-Germanic neurô meaning "nigh," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European negʷʰrós.
nearly (English): With great scrutiny; carefully; With close...
Definitions
- With great scrutiny; carefully; With close...
Ancestry of “nearly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | near | Physically close; Close in time; Closely... |
| 2 | Middle English | nere | kidney; near; weren't |
| 3 | Middle Low German | nēre | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *neurō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | neurô | kidney; testicle |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | negʷʰrós | kidney |
Words derived from “nearly”