Etymograph

English

mightily

Mightily comes from Middle English mightili ‘with might, powerfully, strongly’, from Proto-Germanic *maganą ‘to be able, may’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-‘to be able’root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mógʰtisreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maganą‘to be able, may’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mahtiz‘power, ability’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mahtīgaz‘mighty’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150mihtiġas meahtiġ‘powerful, mighty’
  7. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150meahtiglice‘with might, powerfully, mightily’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mightili‘with might, powerfully, strongly’
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592mightily

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*megʰ-‘to be able’root as named
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*mógʰtisreconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*maganą‘to be able, may’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mahtiz‘power, ability’reconstructed
  5. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*mahtīgaz‘mighty’reconstructed
  6. Old Englishc. 450–1150mihtiġas meahtiġ‘powerful, mighty’
  7. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150meahtiglice‘with might, powerfully, mightily’
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mightili‘with might, powerfully, strongly’
  9. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592mightily

Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Sir, I ſhal not be ſlacke, in ſigne vvhereof…”

Equivalent to mighty + -ly

Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’

…

Proto-Germanic *mahtīgaz

Proto-West Germanic *mahtīg

Old English mihtiġ

Middle English mighty

English mighty

The story

Mihtiġ is derived from Proto-Germanic *mahtīgaz (‘mighty’), from *mahtiz (‘force, strength; ability, power’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- (‘to be able’)) + *-gaz (suffix with the sense ‘being; doing; having’ forming adjectives).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- ‘to be able’

main, mechanical, mechanism, mechanic, magician, dismay, mage, mecha, machinist, magus, 78 more

through Proto-Germanic *maganą ‘to be able, may’

may, yay, mower, yayo, 4 more

Today it means

adv With much physical force, power, or strength; also, with divine or superhuman power or strength.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *megʰ- / mightily

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