Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “obscurely” come from?

Obscurely comes from Middle English -ly added to Old English obscure, which derives from Latin obscurus, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm meaning dark or covered.

obscurely (English): In an obscure manner

Definitions

  1. In an obscure manner

Ancestry of “obscurely”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishobscureDark, faint or indistinct; Hidden, out of sight...
2Middle Englishobscure—
3Old Frenchobscur—
4Latinobscūrus—
5Latinob-towards; against
6Latinobolusobolus
7Ancient Greekὀβολόςobol, obolus, used at Athens as both a weight and...
8Ancient Greekὀβελόςa spit, rod; a horizontal line
9Ancient Greekβέλοςmissile, arrow, dart; weapon; something quickly...
10Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷélHos—
11Proto-Indo-EuropeangʷelH-to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- →