Where does “spitefully” come from?
Spitefully derives from Middle English -ly added to an Old English adjective formed with -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "having the form or nature of," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱóm and līg-.
spitefully (English): In a spiteful manner
Ancestry of “spitefully”, 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 | — |