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
slyly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sly | Artfully cunning; secretly mischievous; wily;... |
| 2 | Middle English | sly | Judicious, considered, shrewd; having or... |
| 3 | Old Norse | slǿgr | crafty, cunning, sly |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | slōgiz | able to strike; sly, cunning, clever |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | slak- | to hit; strike; to hit, strike, throw; to hit,... |
via Middle English sleighly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sleighly | Judiciously, consideredly, shrewdly; in a wise... |