English
strongly
Strongly comes from Old English stranglīċe, strang ‘strong’ + -līċe, from Proto-Germanic *strangaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘pulled tight’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘pulled tight, constricted’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stringaną‘to tighten, stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*strangaz‘strong, tight’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*strang‘strong, severe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150strang‘strong’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150stranglīċe‘strongly’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500strongly‘strongly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*strengʰ-‘pulled tight, constricted’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*stringaną‘to tighten, stretch’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*strangaz‘strong, tight’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*strang‘strong, severe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150strang‘strong’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150stranglīċe‘strongly’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500strongly‘strongly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1897same form
Earliest quotation: 1897, Winston Churchill: “The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to…”
Formed from strong + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘taut’
Proto-Germanic *strangaz ‘tight’
Proto-West Germanic *strang ‘severe’
Old English strang
Middle English strong
English strong
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ster- ‘stiff, rigid’
still, start, street, stare, stern, stereo, straw, torpedo, cholesterol, starve, throttle, sterile, strenuous, sterility, 18 more
through Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- ‘pulled tight, straight, constricted’
district, stress, strict, string, strain, prestige, strait, 46 more
through Proto-Germanic *strangaz ‘tight, strict, straight’
through Proto-West Germanic *strang ‘severe, strict, rigorous’
Today it means
adv In a strong or powerful manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- / strongly