English
differently
Differently comes from Latin differēns ‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’, from ferō ‘to bear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘to bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferō‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferēns‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400different
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500differently
- Englishearliest quotation 1815same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to bear, carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéreti‘to be carrying’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ferō‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferō‘to bear’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferō‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter, disperse, separate’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEdifferēns‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400different
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500differently
- Englishearliest quotation 1815same form
Earliest quotation: 1815, Critical Analysis of Recent Publications: “I was (says Mr. Highmore) forcibly struck with the…”
Formed from different + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear’
…
Latin differō ‘to differ’
Latin differēns ‘spreading’
Old French different
Middle English different
English different
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to bear, carry’
bar, birth, broad, bread, fortune, bearing, prefer, burden, barrel, barn, fury, baron, bark, bore, breeze, broom, barrow, embargo, berth, fret, ferret, furtive, insufferable, bahar, bier, birr, bairn, burnish, barrette, proffer, 121 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti ‘to be carrying’
bear, borne, phosphate, phosphorus, euphoria, dysphoria, semaphore, phosphine, 99 more
through Proto-Italic *ferō ‘to carry, bear’
suffering, infertility, infertile, 75 more
through Latin ferō ‘to bear’
offer, transfer, translation, relative, extraordinary, reference, relation, relate, frustration, suffer, translate, strangely, fertility, referendum, referee, fertile, extravagant, frustrate, elated, infra, confer, fertilization, infer, extraneous, ablation, elation, collation, strangeness, deference, collate, fertilize, ablative, oblate, estrange, deferential, efferent, 78 more
through Latin differō ‘to carry different ways, spread, scatter,…’
through Latin differēns ‘spreading, scattering, dispersing, separating’
Today it means
adv In a different way.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / differently