irrelevantly
UK[ɪˈreləvəntli]US[ɪˈreləvəntli]
adv
In a way that is not connected with or important to what is being discussed or considered.
Morpheme Breakdown
ir
relevant
ly
ir
not
relevant
pertinent
ly
in the manner of
Etymology
The word 'irrelevantly' is built upon the core adjective 'relevant', which originates from the Latin verb 'relevare', meaning "to lift up" or "to lighten a burden". The prefix 'ir-', a variant of the negative 'in-', is attached to negate the core, forming 'irrelevant' to describe something that does not lift up or bear upon the matter at hand—that is, something not pertinent. Finally, the Old English adverbial suffix '-ly' is appended, converting the adjective into an adverb describing the manner of an action. Thus, the literal progression from "not lifting up" to "not connected to the subject" illustrates how a physical metaphor evolved into an abstract concept of logical connection.
Analysis
Structure: ir (not) + relevant (pertinent) + ly (in the manner of)
- ir: A Latin prefix meaning "not", an assimilated form of 'in-' used before 'r'.
- relevant: From Latin 'relevans', present participle of 'relevare' meaning "to lift up, lighten", from 're-' (again) + 'levare' (to lift, lighten).
- ly: An Old English suffix forming adverbs from adjectives, meaning "in the manner of; to the degree of".
Examples
He was speaking irrelevantly, distracting everyone from the main agenda.
The data, while interesting, was presented irrelevantly to the hypothesis being tested.
She wondered if her comment had been made irrelevantly during the heated debate.