English
terribly
Terribly comes from Latin terribilis ‘frightful, dreadful, terrible, horrible’, from Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti ‘to make scared, afraid’, and ultimately from *tres- ‘to tremble (with fear)’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tres-‘to tremble (with fear)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*troséyeti‘to make scared, afraid’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trozeō‘to frighten, scare, terrify’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterreō‘to frighten, terrify, alarm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterribilis‘frightful, dreadful, terrible, horrible’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400terrible
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500terribli‘terribly, horribly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1959terribly
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tres-‘to tremble (with fear)’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*troséyeti‘to make scared, afraid’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trozeō‘to frighten, scare, terrify’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEterreō‘to frighten, terrify, alarm’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEterribilis‘frightful, dreadful, terrible, horrible’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400terrible
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500terribli‘terribly, horribly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1959terribly
Earliest quotation: 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy): “The mere sensuous impact of trumpet or saxophone, whatever…”
Equivalent to terrible + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *tres- ‘to tremble’
…
Latin terreō ‘to frighten’
Latin terribilis ‘frightful’
Old French terrible
Middle English terrible
English terrible
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *trozeō ‘to frighten, scare, terrify’
through Latin terreō ‘to frighten, terrify, alarm’
Today it means
adv So as to cause terror or awe.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tres- / terribly