Where does “vastly” come from?
Vastly derives from English vast, from Middle French vaste, from Latin vastus meaning empty or desolate, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₁weh₂-.
vastly (English): Greatly, in a vast manner
Definitions
- Greatly, in a vast manner
Ancestry of “vastly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 2 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 3 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 4 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 5 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |