English
verily
Verily comes from Middle English verraily ‘truly’, from verray ‘true, very’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weh₁ros‘true’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wēros‘true’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvērus‘true’
- Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvērāxas vērācem‘truthful’
- Early Medieval Latinmodernvērāgus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400verai‘real, genuine’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500verray‘true, very’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500verraily‘truly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611verily
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*weh₁ros‘true’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*wēros‘true’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvērus‘true’
- Classical Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvērāxas vērācem‘truthful’
- Early Medieval Latinmodernvērāgus
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400verai‘real, genuine’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500verray‘true, very’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500verraily‘truly’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611verily
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in…”
Linked words
through Latin vērus ‘true’
verification, veritas, verity, aver, 6 more
through Classical Latin vērāx ‘truthful’
through Middle English verray ‘true, very’
Today it means
adv Truly; doubtless; honestly; in truth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *weh₁ros / verily