Where does “-ly” come from?
-ly (Middle English) comes from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.
-ly (Middle English): Alternative form of -liche
Definitions
- Alternative form of -liche
Ancestry of “-ly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |