Where does “sorrowfully” come from?
Sorrowfully derives from Middle English -ly attached to sorrow, with the adverbial suffix tracing to Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "body" or "form."
sorrowfully (English): In a sorrowful manner; with sorrow and regret
Definitions
- In a sorrowful manner; with sorrow and regret
Ancestry of “sorrowfully”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sorwefully | — |
| 2 | Middle English | -ly | Alternative form of -liche |
| 3 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |