hungrily
UK[ˈhʌŋ.ɡrəl.i]US[ˈhʌŋ.ɡrəl.i]
adv
in a way that shows a strong desire or need for food
adv
in a way that shows great eagerness or desire for something
Morpheme Breakdown
hungr
i
ly
hungr
desire for food
i
connective
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the adverb 'hungrily' is formed from the adjective 'hungry', which itself derives from the old english noun 'hungor', signifying both physical hunger and a strong desire. the old english suffix '-lic' (modern '-ly') was added to nouns to create adjectives meaning 'having the quality of', leading to 'hungry' as 'having the quality of hunger'. the further addition of the adverbial '-ly' suffix (from a different old english lineage) transforms it into a word describing the manner of an action. thus, 'hungrily' literally means 'in a manner characterized by hunger', which evolved to encompass both the literal act of eating with appetite and the figurative expression of intense eagerness.
Analysis
Structure: hungr (desire for food) + i (connective) + ly (adverb suffix)
hungr is from the old english root 'hungor', meaning 'hunger, desire for food'. i is a connective vowel used in english word formation. ly is an old english adverbial suffix meaning 'in the manner of'.
Examples
the dog watched hungrily as its owner prepared the meal.
she read the letter hungrily, eager for any news from home.
after the long hike, they ate hungrily around the campfire.