Where does “likely” come from?
likely (Middle English) comes from Old English ġelīclīċ, from Old English ġē, from Proto-Germanic jahw, from Proto-Germanic -hw, from Proto-Germanic -hwe, from Proto-Indo-European -kʷe — and; Forms distributives from interrogatives.
Ancestry of “likely”, step by step
likely traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English ġelīclīċ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ġelīclīċ | likely |
| 2 | Old English | ġē | ye |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | jahw | and, also |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -hw | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -hwe | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -kʷe | and; Forms distributives from interrogatives |
via Old Norse líkligr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | líkligr | likely |