Where does “skillfully” come from?
Skillfully comes from Middle English skilfully, with the adverb formation -ly added to the adjective skill.
skillfully (English): In a skillful manner; with skill
Definitions
- In a skillful manner; with skill
Ancestry of “skillfully”, step by step
skillfully traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English skillful
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | skillful | Possessing skill; skilled |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |
via Middle English skilfully
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | skilfully | — |