Where does “worstly” come from?
worstly (English) comes from English worst, from Middle English worste, from Old English wierrest, from Proto-Germanic wirsistaz — superlative degree of *ubilaz.
worstly (English): worst
Ancestry of “worstly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | worst | superlative form of bad: most bad; superlative... |
| 2 | Middle English | worste | — |
| 3 | Old English | wierrest | superlative degree of yfel: worst |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wirsistaz | superlative degree of *ubilaz |