deplorably
Meaning
in a way that is very bad, shocking, and deserving strong criticism
Structure
Usage
the prisoners were treated deplorably, with little access to food or medical care.
the government's response to the crisis has been deplorably slow and ineffective.
he behaved deplorably at the formal event, embarrassing his colleagues.
Etymology
the adverb 'deplorably' is built upon the adjective 'deplorable', which entered english in the early 16th century from french 'déplorable' or directly from latin 'deplorabilis'. the latin root is the verb 'deplorare', a compound of the intensive prefix 'de-' and 'plorare', meaning "to weep, bewail, lament thoroughly." this literal sense of loud, public mourning evolved in english to describe a condition so wretched it is worthy of lamentation. the suffix '-ably' is added to the adjective stem to form the adverb, indicating the manner of being lamentable. thus, the word's journey encapsulates a shift from an active expression of grief to a descriptive judgment of a pitiable or condemnable state.
Analysis
de- (latin origin, an intensive prefix meaning "completely" or "thoroughly"); plor (latin origin, from the verb 'plorare', meaning "to weep, cry out, lament"); -ably (latin/french/english origin, an adverbial suffix meaning "in a manner that can be [verb]ed" or "characterized by [quality]")