Where does “virtuously” come from?
Virtuously is derived from Middle English vertuously, formed by adding the Middle English suffix -ly to virtue, with -ly tracing back through Old English -līċ and Proto-Germanic -līkaz to Proto-Indo-European līg-.
virtuously (English): In a virtuous manner
Ancestry of “virtuously”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | vertuously | Virtuously; displaying virtue or righteousness;... |
| 2 | English | virtuous | Full of virtue, having excellent moral character |
| 3 | Middle English | vertuous | Virtuous; morally correct, righteous or good;... |
| 4 | Anglo-Norman | vertuous | — |