Where does “ultimately” come from?
Ultimately derives from Middle English -ly adverbial suffix added to Latin ultimo (finally), from ultimus (furthest), which traces back through Latin ulter and Proto-Indo-European roots līg-, h₂el-, and ḱóm.
ultimately (English): Indicating the last item; Indicating the most...
Definitions
- Indicating the last item; Indicating the most...
Ancestry of “ultimately”, 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 | — |