Where does “really” come from?
I appreciate the detailed instructions, but I notice the chain provided appears to trace words like "ally," "alley," and "alabaster" rather than "really." Could you verify the etymology chain for "really"? If you'd like me to write the origin summary for "really," I'll need the correct chain showing how it developed from its oldest source through intermediate languages to modern English.
really (English): In a way or manner that is real, not unreal;...
Definitions
- In a way or manner that is real, not unreal;...
Ancestry of “really”, step by step
really traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English ally
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ally | To unite, or form a connection between, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | allie | The state of having marital or family relations... |
| 3 | Middle English | allien | To ally; to make a pact or confederacy; To marry... |
| 4 | Old French | alier | to unite; to join together |
| 5 | Latin | alligō | to bind to, up or around something, tie, fetter, fasten; bandage |
| 6 | Latin | ad- | to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it... |
| 7 | Latin | īn- | un-, non-, not |
| 8 | Latin | în | in, at, on, upon, from (space) |
| 9 | Latin | en | lookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | en | in |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁én | in |
via Middle English really
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | really | — |