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

  1. Alternative form of -liche

Ancestry of “-ly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English-līċsuffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning...
2Proto-Germanic*-līk—

Words derived from “-ly”

Every word from Proto-Germanic *-līk →Every word from Old English -līċ →