Where does “slyly” come from?
Slyly comes from Middle English sleighly, formed from Middle English sleigh and the suffix Middle English -ly (from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots slak- and līg-.
slyly (English): In a sly manner, cunningly
Definitions
- In a sly manner, cunningly
Ancestry of “slyly”, 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 | — |