Where does “scathingly” come from?
Scathingly derives from English scathe, Old Norse skaða meaning to harm, and Proto-Germanic skaþô, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to cut or injure.
scathingly (English): In a scathing manner
Ancestry of “scathingly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 2 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 3 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 4 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 5 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |