happily
UK[ˈhæp.ɪ.li]US[ˈhæp.ə.li]
adv
in a happy way; with a feeling of pleasure or contentment.
adv
in a fortunate or appropriate way.
Morpheme Breakdown
happi
ly
happi
happy
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'happily' is built upon the core concept of 'hap', an ancient norse and middle english term for chance or fortune. the adjective 'happy' originally described someone favored by fortune, a state of good luck. by adding the old english adverbial suffix '-ly', which denotes manner, the word evolved to describe the manner of being in that fortunate state—doing something with joy or contentment. over time, as 'happy' shifted from a focus on external luck to an internal feeling of pleasure, 'happily' correspondingly came to mean performing an action in a joyful or pleased manner, while retaining a secondary, more formal sense of something occurring in a fortunate way.
Analysis
Structure: happi (happy) + ly (adverb suffix)
'happi' is derived from the english root 'happy', which originates from the middle english 'hap' (chance, fortune), from old norse 'happ' (good luck). 'ly' is an old english adverbial suffix, from proto-germanic -līko.
Examples
the children played happily in the garden.
she happily accepted the job offer.
the story ended happily, with the family reunited.