metaphysically

the word 'metaphysically' is built upon the foundation of 'metaphysics', a term coined from the greek phrase 'ta meta ta physika', meaning "the [works] after the physics". this title was given by later editors to a collection of aristotle's treatises that followed his works on physics, dealing with questions beyond the physical world, such as being, substance, and causality. the core element 'meta' evolved from its literal greek meaning of "after" to signify "beyond" or "transcending", while 'physical' derives from 'physis' (nature). thus, the compound originally meant "beyond the physical/natural". the suffix '-ly' is a germanic adverbial marker. the modern sense, describing something abstract, theoretical, or pertaining to the fundamental nature of reality, directly flows from this historical progression where the study of what lies beyond observable nature became a domain of philosophy.

Structure: meta + physical + ly meta: from greek, meaning "after, beyond, or transcending". in this context, it denotes a higher level of abstraction. physical: from greek, relating to nature or the material world (physis). here, it refers to the study of nature. ly: from old english, an adverbial suffix meaning "in a manner of".