Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “southeasterly” come from?

southeasterly (English) comes from English easterly, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.

southeasterly (English): situated in, or pointing to, the southeast;...

Definitions

  1. situated in, or pointing to, the southeast;...

Ancestry of “southeasterly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglisheasterlyAny persistent wind from the east; Facing the...
2English-lyUsed to form adjectives from nouns, the...
3EnglishgrislyHorrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;...
4Middle Englishgrisely—
5Old Englishgrisliċgrisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid
6Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
7Proto-Germanic*-līk—
Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →