Where does “ungodly” come from?
Ungodly derives from Middle English ungodli, formed with the Middle English prefix un- from Old English un-, itself from Old English on-, which developed from Old English and-, all tracing to Proto-Indo-European ano- meaning "not" and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ne and h₂ent-.
ungodly (English): Of a person: lacking reverence for God; of an...
Definitions
- Of a person: lacking reverence for God; of an...
Ancestry of “ungodly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ungodli | cruelly, maliciously, wickedly; unfairly,... |
| 2 | Middle English | godli | — |
| 3 | Old English | gōdlīċ | good, goodly |
| 4 | Old English | gōd | a good thing, advantage, benefit, gift; good,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |