inelegantly
UK[ˌɪnˈel.ɪ.ɡənt.li]US[ˌɪnˈel.ə.ɡənt.li]
adv
in a manner that lacks grace, refinement, or good taste.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
elegant
ly
in
not
elegant
graceful
ly
adverb suffix
Etymology
the word 'inelegantly' is built upon the core adjective 'elegant', which entered english from latin via french. the latin root elegant- stems from the verb eligere, meaning "to pick out, choose", implying a sense of discernment and taste. the negative prefix 'in-', of latin origin, reverses this quality to denote a lack of grace. finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' is appended to describe the manner of an action. thus, the term's literal progression is from "choosing carefully" to "tasteful", then to "not tasteful", and finally to "in a manner that is not tasteful".
Analysis
Structure: in (not) + elegant (graceful) + ly (adverb suffix)
- in: a latin prefix meaning "not" or "without".
- elegant: from latin elegant-, meaning "choosing carefully, tasteful". in english, it functions as the adjective root meaning "graceful and stylish".
- ly: an old english suffix used to form adverbs from adjectives, indicating manner or way.
Examples
he bowed inelegantly, nearly tripping over his own feet.
the proposal was written inelegantly, with clumsy phrasing and jargon.
she solved the complex math problem efficiently, if somewhat inelegantly.