Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “wrongly” come from?

Wrongly comes from Middle English -ly, Old English -līċ, Proto-Germanic -līkaz, derived from Proto-Germanic galīkaz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European līg- and ḱóm.

wrongly (English): In an unfair or immoral manner; unjustly;...

Definitions

  1. In an unfair or immoral manner; unjustly;...

Ancestry of “wrongly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwrongIncorrect or untrue; Asserting something...
2Middle EnglishwrongA wrong, injustice; A wrong, evil, wrongdoing,...
3Old Englishwrangwrong, injustice; rough, uneven
4Old Norserangrunjust
5Old Norsewrangr—
6Proto-Germanicwrangaztwisted, warped, bent, crooked, wry; wretched,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerḱ-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →