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

Definitions

  1. worst

Ancestry of “worstly”, step by step

worstly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English worst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishworstsuperlative form of bad: most bad; superlative...
2Middle Englishworste—
3Old Englishwierrestsuperlative degree of yfel: worst
4Proto-Germanicwirsistazsuperlative degree of *ubilaz

via English ly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlyAbbreviation of light-year
2VietnameselyAlternative spelling of li
Every word from Proto-Germanic wirsistaz →Every word from Old English wierrest →Every word from Middle English worste →