Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “upwardly” come from?

Upwardly derives from English upward plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, from Old English -līċ meaning "like" or "in the manner of," from Proto-Germanic -līkaz, itself from Proto-Germanic galīkaz and Proto-Indo-European līg-.

upwardly (English): In an upward manner; Towards a higher level,...

Definitions

  1. In an upward manner; Towards a higher level,...

Ancestry of “upwardly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishupwardIn a direction from lower to higher; toward a...
2Old Englishupweardes—
3Old Englishupweard—
4Old English-weardForming adjectives and nouns from adjectives or...
5Proto-Germanicwardazturned; turned toward; facing; Alternative form...
6Proto-Germanicwerþazworthy, valuable
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →