English
greedily
Greedily comes from Middle English gredyly ‘Overexcitedly or impulsively’, from Old English grǣdiglīce ‘eagerly’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to desire, enjoy’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to desire, enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēduz‘hunger’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēdagaz‘hungry’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grādag‘hungry, greedy’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grǣdiġ‘hungry, greedy’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150grǣdiglīce‘eagerly’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gredyly‘Overexcitedly or impulsively’
- Englishearliest quotation 1958greedily
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰreh₁-‘to desire, enjoy’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēduz‘hunger’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grēdagaz‘hungry’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grādag‘hungry, greedy’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grǣdiġ‘hungry, greedy’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150grǣdiglīce‘eagerly’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500gredyly‘Overexcitedly or impulsively’
- Englishearliest quotation 1958greedily
Earliest quotation: 1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy): “There he ordered beer from the adenoidal Chinese manager…”
Formed from greedy + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *gʰer- ‘to yearn for’
Proto-Germanic *grēdaz
Proto-Germanic *grēdagaz ‘hungry’
Anglian Old English grēdiġ ‘greedy, hungry, eager’
Middle English gredy ‘Overexcited’
English greedy
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- ‘to desire, enjoy’
grow, green, grass, herb, arbor, groom, gourmet, graze, yerba, ambergris, 18 more
Today it means
adv In a greedy manner; with keen or ardent desire.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- / greedily