Where does “tensely” come from?
Tensely derives from English tense, from Latin tensus (stretched), itself from Latin tempus (time, the stretching or extension of duration), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European temp- (to stretch or extend).
tensely (English): In a tense manner
Definitions
- In a tense manner
Ancestry of “tensely”, 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 | — |