Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pejoratively” come from?

Pejoratively derives from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, Proto-Germanic galīkaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots līg- and ḱóm, ultimately tracing to concepts of form and togetherness.

pejoratively (English): In a pejorative manner. Insultingly,...

Definitions

  1. In a pejorative manner. Insultingly,...

Ancestry of “pejoratively”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpejorativeDisparaging, belittling or derogatory; A...
2Latinpēiōrātus—
3Latinpēior—
4Latinmalusunpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad;...
5Ancient Greekμηλέα—
6Ancient Greekμῆλονapple; any fruit from a tree; a woman's breast
7Proto-Indo-European(s)meh₁l-small animal”; small animal
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)meh₁l- →