Where does “pithily” come from?
Pithily is the adverbial form of pithy, derived from English pith through Middle French -ie, Latin -ia and -ivus suffixes, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European -kos.
pithily (English): In a pithy manner, concisely and to the point
Definitions
- In a pithy manner, concisely and to the point
Ancestry of “pithily”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | pithy | Concise and meaningful; Of, like, or abounding in... |
| 2 | English | pith | The soft, spongy substance in the center of the... |
| 3 | English | helmet | A protective head covering, usually part of... |
| 4 | Middle English | helmet | A helmet; an armoured piece of headgear |
| 5 | Old French | helmet | — |
| 6 | Old French | helme | helmet |
| 7 | Medieval Latin | helmus | helmet |
| 8 | Frankish | helm | helmet |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | helmaz | helmet |
| 10 | Proto-Germanic | halmaz | halm; stem; stalk; straw; hay |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱolh₂mos | stalk |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱelh₂- | to pierce, strike; to stick; prick; stab |