Where does “responsibly” come from?
Responsibly comes from English responsible plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, derived from Old English -līċ meaning "like" or "having the form of," from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, itself from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm.
responsibly (English): In a responsible manner
Definitions
- In a responsible manner
Ancestry of “responsibly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | responsible | Having the duty of taking care of something;... |
| 2 | Middle French | responsable | — |
| 3 | Old French | responsable | — |
| 4 | Latin | respōnsus | replied |
| 5 | Latin | respondeō | to reply, answer, respond |
| 6 | Latin | rĕ- | back, backwards |
| 7 | Latin | prōdūcō | to lead or bring forth, forward or out |
| 8 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |