Where does “northerly” come from?
Northerly derives from English northern plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, from Old English -līċ meaning "like" or "having the form of," from Proto-Germanic -līkaz and galīkaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.
northerly (English): A wind blowing from the north; Facing the north;...
Definitions
- A wind blowing from the north; Facing the north;...
Ancestry of “northerly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | norther | A strong north wind; south wind; Of the wind: to... |
| 2 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 3 | French | Nord | north |
| 4 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 5 | Old French | nort | north |
| 6 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |