Where does “uncertainly” come from?
Uncertainly comes from English uncertain, from Latin certus (sure, determined) and unus (one), both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots óynos and ano-.
uncertainly (English): In an uncertain manner
Definitions
- In an uncertain manner
Ancestry of “uncertainly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | uncertain | Not certain; unsure; Not known for certain;... |
| 2 | English | un- | not; absent; lacking; not; negative; contrary to... |
| 3 | Middle English | un- | — |
| 4 | Old English | un- | negation or absence of: un-, non-; bad; forms... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | un- | not, un- |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | n̥- | not, un- |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ne | not |