English
violently
Violently comes from Latin violentus ‘forcible, violent, vehement’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEviolentus‘forcible, violent, vehement’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400violent
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500violent‘Violent, forcible, injury-causing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500violently‘Violently, in a violent or harmful way’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982violently
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEviolentus‘forcible, violent, vehement’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400violent
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500violent‘Violent, forcible, injury-causing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500violently‘Violently, in a violent or harmful way’
- Englishearliest quotation 1982violently
Earliest quotation: 1982, Douglas Adams, Life: “Arthur started to choke violently on his drink.”
Formed from violent + -ly
Proto-Indo-European *wéyHs ‘force’
…
Latin violō ‘to violate, use force’
Latin violentus ‘forcible’
Old French violent
Middle English violent ‘violent, forcible’
English violent
Every English word from Latin violentus
Today it means
adv In a violent manner.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin violentus / violently