Where does “madly” come from?
madly (Middle English) comes from Middle English madli, from Middle English mad, from Old English ġemǣd, from Proto-Germanic maidijaną, from Proto-Germanic maidaz, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.
madly (Middle English): Alternative form of madli
Definitions
- Alternative form of madli
Ancestry of “madly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | madli | madly, insanely; idiotically, stupidly |
| 2 | Middle English | mad | Mad, insane, deranged; not of sound mind;... |
| 3 | Old English | ġemǣd | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | maidijaną | to exchange, change |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | maidaz | hurt, wounded; mad, foolish; angry, enraged |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mēy- | soft, tender, dear |
Words derived from “madly”