English
groundly
Groundly comes from Old English grund ‘ground’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- ‘to resound’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰrem-‘to resound’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grunduz‘ground’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grundureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grund‘ground’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500groundli
- Englishearliest quotation 1516groundly
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰrem-‘to resound’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*grunduz‘ground’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*grundureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150grund‘ground’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500groundli
- Englishearliest quotation 1516groundly
Earliest quotation: 1516, Robert Fabyan, [Pars Sexta.] Capitulum C.lx.iii.: “[A]fter. iiii. yeres was passyd, the sayd two bretherne…”
Formed from ground + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- ‘floor, settlement’
Proto-Germanic *grunduz ‘ground, foundation’
Proto-West Germanic *grundu
Old English grund
Middle English ground
English ground
The story
The English word is analysable as ground + -ly (suffix forming adjectives), and is cognate with German gründlich (‘careful, thorough; deep, profound’), Swedish grundlig (‘thorough; in depth; profound; radical’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- ‘to resound’
grim, grunting, pogrom, 5 more
through Proto-Germanic *grunduz ‘ground’
Today it means
adj Firmly grounded; solid; of education: complete, thorough, well-grounded.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- / groundly