Where does “presumably” come from?
Presumably derives from English presume, from Latin praesumo meaning to assume beforehand, from prae- and -sumere combining elements ultimately rooted in Proto-Indo-European per-.
presumably (English): able to be sensibly presumed
Definitions
- able to be sensibly presumed
Ancestry of “presumably”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ably | Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives... |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |