Where does “optionally” come from?
Optionally derives from English optional, which combines English option from Latin optio (choice) and the Latin adjective-forming suffix -ivus, ultimately from Latin optāre (to choose).
optionally (English): In an optional manner. Not mandatorily
Definitions
- In an optional manner. Not mandatorily
Ancestry of “optionally”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | optional | Not compulsory; left to personal choice;... |
| 2 | English | option | One of a set of choices that can be made; The... |
| 3 | French | option | option |
| 4 | Latin | optiō | choosing, choice, preference, option |
| 5 | Latin | -iō | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | -jō | Forms agent nouns from verbs |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |