Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “openly” come from?

Openly derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic upanōną, and Proto-Indo-European upo, combined with Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.

openly (English): In an open manner, visibly, not covertly

Definitions

  1. In an open manner, visibly, not covertly

Ancestry of “openly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishopenNot closed; Not physically drawn together,...
2Middle Englishopenopen
3Old Englishopenopen
4Proto-West Germanic*opan—
5Proto-Germanicupanazopen
6Proto-Indo-Europeanupóunder, below
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃ewp-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp- →