Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “perceptively” come from?

Perceptively derives from English perceptive combined with the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, descended from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "like" or "body," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots.

perceptively (English): In a perceptive manner

Definitions

  1. In a perceptive manner

Ancestry of “perceptively”, 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 →