Where does “spontaneously” come from?
Spontaneously comes from English spontaneous, from Latin spontaneus, from Latin sponte combined with the adjectival suffix Latin -anus, ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European roots ḱóm and līg-.
spontaneously (English): In a spontaneous manner; naturally; voluntarily
Definitions
- In a spontaneous manner; naturally; voluntarily
Ancestry of “spontaneously”, 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 | — |