Where does “portentously” come from?
Portentously derives from Middle English -ly adverbial suffix added to portentous, from Latin portentus, past participle of portendo meaning to foretell, from per- and related Proto-Indo-European roots.
portentously (English): In an ominous manner; In a pompous manner
Definitions
- In an ominous manner; In a pompous manner
Ancestry of “portentously”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | portentous | Of momentous or ominous significance; Ominously... |
| 2 | Latin | portentōsus | — |
| 3 | Latin | portentus | indicated, pointed out; predicted, foretold |
| 4 | Latin | portendo | I indicate, point out; I predict, foretell,... |
| 5 | Latin | por- | forth, forward, further, onward |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | por- | forth, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |