the adverb "strikingly" is built upon the present participle "striking" of the verb "strike." the core verb "strike" originates from the old english 'strīcan,' which carried a range of meanings including to stroke, go, or hit. this old english term is traced back to a proto-germanic root meaning to stroke or rub, and further to the proto-indo-European root streyg-, meaning to stroke or press. the '-ing' suffix transforms the verb into an adjective describing something that "hits" or impacts the senses. finally, the addition of the adverbial '-ly' suffix, a common grammaticalization in english, modifies the adjective to describe the manner of an action. thus, the literal sense of "in a hitting manner" evolved into the modern abstract meanings of being conspicuously noticeable or impressively attractive.

Structure: strike (to hit) + ing (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix) strike (from old english 'strīcan', meaning to go, move, stroke, or hit; the verbal root in this word). ing (from old english '-ende', a suffix forming present participles and adjectives). ly (from old english '-līce', an adverbial suffix).