Where does “safely” come from?
Safely comes from Middle English savely, formed from the adjective safe (from Old English salvus via Latin salvus, meaning "unharmed") and the adverbial suffix -ly (from Old English -līċ).
safely (English): In a safe manner; without risk; using caution...
Definitions
- In a safe manner; without risk; using caution...
Ancestry of “safely”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | savely | With safety; without harm or injury; With... |
| 2 | Middle English | sauf | Not having experienced harm, damage, or ill... |
| 3 | Old French | sauf | — |
| 4 | Latin | salvus | safe, saved, preserved, sound, unharmed,... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *salawos | whole |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | solh₂wós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sōlh₂- | mercy, comfort; comfort, mercy |