Where does “differently” come from?
differently (Middle English) comes from Middle English different, from Old French different, from Latin differens, from Latin differo, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx, from Ancient Greek χάλιξ — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
differently (Middle English): differently
Ancestry of “differently”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | different | different |
| 2 | Old French | different | — |
| 3 | Latin | differens | spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating;... |
| 4 | Latin | differo | I carry different ways, spread, scatter,... |
| 5 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 6 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 7 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
Words derived from “differently”