Where does “uncannily” come from?
Uncannily derives from English uncanny, which combines the prefix un- with English canny, itself from English can, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European óynos.
uncannily (English): In an uncanny manner
Definitions
- In an uncanny manner
Ancestry of “uncannily”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | uncanny | Strange, and mysteriously unsettling (as if supernatural); weird |
| 2 | English | canny | Careful, prudent, cautious; Knowing, shrewd,... |
| 3 | English | can | To know how to; to be able to; May; to be... |
| 4 | Spanish | can | dog, hound |
| 5 | Latin | Canis | a dog, a hound animal |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | δρόμος | race, running; racetrack; course, path |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ός | Forms agentive or patientive adjectives and nouns from the o-grade of a verbal root |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | *-os | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ós | Creates agent nouns from verb stems, denoting... |