Where does “writerly” come from?
Writerly comes from English writer with the Middle English suffix -ly, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic -līkaz meaning "body-like" or "of the nature of," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning "form" and "together."
writerly (English): Characteristic of a writer; using well-chosen...
Definitions
- Characteristic of a writer; using well-chosen...
Ancestry of “writerly”, 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 | — |