Where does “purportedly” come from?
Purportedly derives from English purport, which combines Old English -līċ with Proto-Germanic -līkaz, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm, meaning "like" or "similar."
purportedly (English): supposedly, putatively, or reputedly
Definitions
- supposedly, putatively, or reputedly
Ancestry of “purportedly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | purported | Supposed, or assumed to be; Normally assumed to... |
| 2 | English | purport | To convey, imply, or profess; To intend; import,... |
| 3 | Middle English | purporten | — |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | purporter | Alternative form of porporter |
| 5 | Old French | porter | to carry; to carry a child |
| 6 | Old French | -ment | Used to form adverbs, most of the time equivalent... |
| 7 | Latin | -mentum | instrument, medium, or result of; e.g.... |
| 8 | Latin | -menta | nominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -mn̥ | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs |