intelligibly
UK[ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəbli]US[ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəbli]
adv
in a way that can be understood clearly
Morpheme Breakdown
intel
lig
ibly
intel
between, among
lig
to choose, gather, read
ibly
in a manner that can be
Etymology
the word 'intelligibly' originates from the latin verb 'intelligere', meaning 'to understand, comprehend'. this verb itself is a compound of 'inter-' (between, among) and 'legere' (to choose, gather, read), conveying the idea of 'selecting or discerning among' various pieces of information. the suffix '-ibilis' was added to form the adjective 'intelligibilis', meaning 'that can be understood'. entering english via old french, the adverbial form '-ly' was appended to the adapted stem 'intelligible', resulting in 'intelligibly', which describes the manner of being clear enough to be comprehended. the core logic moves from the literal act of gathering distinctions to the abstract capacity for clear understanding.
Analysis
Structure: intel + lig + ibly
intel (latin: inter, meaning 'between, among'); lig (latin: legere, meaning 'to choose, gather, read'); ibly (latin/english: -ibilis + -ly, forming adverbs meaning 'in a manner that can be')
Examples
the lecturer spoke slowly and intelligibly, ensuring everyone could follow the complex theory.
for the instructions to be useful, they must be written intelligibly for a non-technical audience.
the audio was poor, but the main message still came through intelligibly.