Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “occasionally” come from?

Occasionally derives from English occasion, which blends German Aldehyd and Latin occasionem, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱóm and līg- via Latin cado meaning "to fall."

occasionally (English): On the occasion of something else happening;...

Definitions

  1. On the occasion of something else happening;...

Ancestry of “occasionally”, 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—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →