Where does “recently” come from?

Recently derives from English recent, from Latin recens, ultimately tracing through Old English -līċ and Proto-Germanic -līkaz to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "body" or "form."

recently (English): In the recent past

Definitions

  1. In the recent past

Ancestry of “recently”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
2EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
3Middle Englishgrisely
4Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
5Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
6Proto-Germanic*-līk
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk
recently — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer