Where does “precariously” come from?
Precariously derives from English precarious, from Latin precarius meaning dependent on request or favor, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- and ḱóm.
precariously (English): In a precarious manner; dangerously
Definitions
- In a precarious manner; dangerously
Ancestry of “precariously”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | precarious | Dangerously insecure or unstable; perilous;... |
| 2 | English | carious | Having caries decayed, rotten |
| 3 | French | carieux | carious |
| 4 | French | carie | decay uncountable, cavity countable process or result of bone or teeth being gradually decomposed |
| 5 | Latin | cariēs | decay, rot, rottenness, corruption |
| 6 | Latin | careō | to lack, be without. (usually with ablative), to be deprived of |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | kazēō | to lack |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱes-éh₁-ye-ti | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱes- | to cut off, separate; to cut up, to slaughter; to... |