sparsely
UK[ˈspɑːsli]US[ˈspɑːrsli]
adv
in a sparse manner; thinly scattered or distributed.
Morpheme Breakdown
sparse
ly
sparse
thinly scattered
ly
adverb-forming suffix
Etymology
the adjective 'sparse' entered english in the early 18th century from latin sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning 'to scatter'. this latin verb is traced back to the proto-indo-european root (s)pergh-, meaning 'to strew, scatter'. the adverbial suffix '-ly' is of germanic origin, a standard english derivational ending that converts adjectives into adverbs describing manner. thus, 'sparsely' literally means 'in a scattered manner', a meaning that has remained consistent from its latin roots to its modern usage describing things distributed with wide, empty intervals.
Analysis
Structure: sparse (thinly scattered) + ly (adverb-forming suffix)
'sparse' (from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere meaning 'to scatter, strew'); 'ly' (from Old English -līce, forming adverbs from adjectives).
Examples
the population is sparsely distributed across the vast desert.
the room was sparsely furnished, containing only a bed and a chair.
trees grow sparsely at this high altitude.