the adverb 'sweepingly' is built upon the old english verb 'swāpan,' which meant to clean by brushing or, more broadly, to move swiftly and forcefully over an area. the addition of the '-ing' suffix transforms the action into the descriptive adjective 'sweeping,' which metaphorically captures the sense of something broad, comprehensive, and forceful, much like the motion of a broom. finally, the old english adverbial suffix '-ly' is appended, converting the descriptive quality into a manner of action. thus, the literal sense of moving like a sweeping broom evolved into the modern abstract meaning of doing something in an all-encompassing, generalized, and often undiscriminating way.

Structure: sweep (to clean/clear) + ing (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix) - sweep: from old english swāpan (to sweep, drive, rush). functional role: core root verb. - ing: from old english -ende, present participle suffix. functional role: forms the adjective 'sweeping' from the verb. - ly: from old english -līce (having the form/manner of). functional role: forms an adverb from the adjective.