charitably
Meaning
in a kind and generous way towards other people
in a way that judges other people's actions in a kind and forgiving way
Structure
Usage
she smiled charitably at his clumsy attempt to help.
the critic interpreted the artist's early work charitably, focusing on its raw potential.
the company charitably matched its employees' donations to the disaster relief fund.
Etymology
the word 'charitably' is built upon the noun 'charity', which originates from the latin 'caritas', meaning 'dearness, affection, or high price'. this latin term itself derives from 'carus', meaning 'dear'. the semantic journey moved from a sense of high value and affection to the christian virtue of altruistic love, and eventually to organized benevolence and acts of kindness. the suffix '-able' was attached to form the adjective 'charitable', meaning "given to or characterized by charity". finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' was added, completing the word's evolution into its modern form, which describes an action performed in a generous or forgiving manner.
Analysis
- charit: from latin 'caritas' (dearness, love, charity), via old french 'charité'. functions as the core root noun. - able: from latin '-abilis' (capable of, fit for), via old french '-able'. functions as an adjective-forming suffix meaning "worthy of or given to". - ly: from old english '-lice' (having the qualities of). functions as an adverb-forming suffix.