Where does “scarcely” come from?
Scarcely comes from Middle English scarcely, a derivative formation whose ultimate origin and earliest meaning remain uncertain.
scarcely (English): Probably not; Certainly not; Almost not at all;...
Definitions
- Probably not; Certainly not; Almost not at all;...
Ancestry of “scarcely”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scarcely | — |