Where does “verbally” come from?
Verbally comes from the English verb verbal with the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, derived from Old English -līċ (resembling), from Latin -alis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wer- (to speak), the root of Latin verbum (word).
verbally (English): In a verbal manner; with words; by speaking
Definitions
- In a verbal manner; with words; by speaking
Ancestry of “verbally”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | verbal | Of or relating to words; Concerned with the... |
| 2 | Old French | verbal | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | verbalis | belonging to a word; wordy, verbal |
| 4 | Latin | verbum | word; proverb, saying; verb |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λόγος | That which is said: word, sentence, speech,... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λέγω | I put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |