Where does “whimsically” come from?
Whimsically derives from English whimsical, formed by English whimsy with the French suffix -ique, ultimately tracing through Latin -icus, -ia, -ivus, and -ia.
whimsically (English): in a whimsical manner
Definitions
- in a whimsical manner
Ancestry of “whimsically”, 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 | — |