contemptuously
Meaning
in a way that shows a strong feeling of dislike and a lack of respect for someone or something considered worthless
Structure
Usage
she waved her hand contemptuously, dismissing his entire argument.
he spoke contemptuously of his rivals, refusing to acknowledge their achievements.
the critic reviewed the film contemptuously, calling it a waste of time.
Etymology
the word "contemptuously" is built upon the latin noun contemptus, meaning "scorn," which itself originates from the verb contemnere, a compound of con- (intensive) and temnere (to despise). the suffix -ous was attached in english to form the adjective "contemptuous," meaning "full of scorn." finally, the old english adverbial suffix -ly was added to describe the manner of an action. thus, the literal construction "in a scorn-full manner" perfectly captures the modern abstract meaning of behaving with arrogant disdain.
Analysis
contempt: from latin contemptus (scorn, disdain), from the verb contemnere (to despise, scorn). it functions as the core root conveying the meaning of scorn. u: a common latin-derived connecting vowel used to join the root to following suffixes, serving a purely structural role. ous: from latin -osus (full of), an adjective-forming suffix meaning "characterized by" or "full of". ly: from old english -līc (like, having the form of), an adverb-forming suffix meaning "in a manner of".