*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -ally

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālislbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle Englis

1 source sectionExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗
suffix

Alternative form of -ly (adverbial suffix), used with adjectives ending in -ic.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālislbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly Middle English -ally English -ally From Middle English -ally, -alliche, a combination equivalent to -al (adjectival suffix) + -ly (adverbial suffix). The Middle English suffix was originally non-productive, and was from -ly adverbs based on nouns ending an -al. In modern usage the suffix has been reanalyzed and is now treated as a separate, productive suffix.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*leyg-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mention-allyenm
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-ally<ety:af<-al<id:adjectival suffix>><-ly<id:adverbial>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-\nProto-Indo-European *-is\nProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālislbor.\nOld French -albor.\n▲\nLatin -ālis\nOld French -elbor.\n▲\nLatin -ālisbor.\nMiddle English -al\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nMiddle English -ally\nEnglish -ally\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"forming adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"lbor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Learned borrowing from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjectivizing suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*h₂élis\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"grow\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*h₂el-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-is\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ālis\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ālis\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-al\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"adjectivizing suffix\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"itc-pro:*-ālis\", \"id\" : \"adjectivizing suffix\", \"title\" : \"-ālis\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ālis\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-el\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"adjectivizing suffix\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"la\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"itc-pro:*-ālis\", \"id\" : \"adjectivizing suffix\", \"title\" : \"-ālis\", \"pos\" : \"suffix\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ālis\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-al\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"like\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*leyg-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*līką\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkê\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkē\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"gem-pro\", \"2\" : \":der\", \"3\" : \"*līką\", \"id\" : \"-like\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līkaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-līk\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"id\" : \"adverbial\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ā\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ê\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-līċe\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ly\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ally\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ally\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-ally\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*leyg-",
        "id": "like"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-ally"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -ally"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-ally<ety:af<-al<id:adjectival suffix>><-ly<id:adverbial>>>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *h₂el-\nProto-Indo-European *-is\nProto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?\nProto-Italic *-ālis\nLatin -ālislbor.\nOld French -albor.\n▲\nLatin -ālis\nOld French -elbor.\n▲\nLatin -ālisbor.\nMiddle English -al\nProto-Indo-European *leyg-der.\nProto-Germanic *līkąder.\nProto-Germanic *-līkaz\nProto-Germanic *-ê\nProto-Germanic *-līkê\nProto-West Germanic *-līkē\nOld English -līċe\nMiddle English -ly\nMiddle English -ally\nEnglish -ally"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*h₂el-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂el-#Proto-Indo-European:_grow"
    ],
    [
      "*-is",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-is"
    ],
    [
      "*-ālis",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-ālis"
    ],
    [
      "-ālis",
      "-alis#Latin:_adjectivizing_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-al",
      "-al#Old_French:_forming_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "-ālis",
      "-alis#Latin:_adjectivizing_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_French:_adjective"
    ],
    [
      "-ālis",
      "-alis#Latin:_adjectivizing_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "-al",
      "-al#Middle_English:_adjectival_suffix"
    ],
    [
      "*leyg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/leyg-#Proto-Indo-European:_like"
    ],
    [
      "*līką",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/līką"
    ],
    [
      "*-līkaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-līkaz"
    ],
    [
      "*-ê",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ê"
    ],
    [
      "*-līkê",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-līkê"
    ],
    [
      "*-līkē",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-līkē"
    ],
    [
      "-līċe",
      "-lice#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#Middle_English:_adverbial"
    ],
    [
      "-ally",
      "-ally#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ally",
      "-ally#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-alliche",
      "-alliche#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-al",
      "-al#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ly",
      "-ly"
    ],
    [
      "-al",
      "-al"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of -ly (adverbial suffix), used with adjectives ending in -ic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "13c13182f3e721ff8dbb590b63dedb27f2f36493ff0a6644b48ee149c7261aec",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 838465
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -ally →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-LWFsbHk