Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “vainly” come from?

Vainly derives from Middle English -ly adverbial suffix combined with English vain, which comes from Latin vanus meaning "empty" or "futile," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂-.

vainly (English): In a vain pursuit; to no avail; "She searched...

Definitions

  1. In a vain pursuit; to no avail; "She searched...

Ancestry of “vainly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishvainOverly proud of oneself, especially concerning...
2Old Frenchvain—
3Latinvānus—
4Italianvanovain, useless, idle; quaint; space, opening,...
5ItalianvanareAlternative form of vaneggiare
6Romanian-re-ing, -ation
7Latin-āre—
8Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
9Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
10Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
11Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
12Chichewaiyehe, she
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