unsurprisingly
Meaning
in a way that is expected and does not cause surprise
Structure
Usage
unsurprisingly, the team performed well under their experienced coach.
given the heavy traffic, she arrived late, unsurprisingly.
the movie, a sequel to a popular film, was unsurprisingly a box office success.
Etymology
The word 'unsurprisingly' is built upon the core verb 'surprise,' which entered English from Old French 'surprendre,' meaning "to overtake" or "seize." This, in turn, derives from Latin 'superprehendere,' combining 'super-' (over) and 'prehendere' (to grasp). The negative prefix 'un-' of Old English origin is added to the adjective 'surprising' (itself formed with the '-ing' participial suffix) to create the opposite quality. Finally, the Old English adverbial suffix '-ly' is appended, completing the logical construction of an adverb meaning "in a manner that is not causing wonder or astonishment," hence, as expected.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin (old english) meaning "not," used to form negatives. - surpris(e): from the verb 'surprise,' of french/latin origin, meaning to cause wonder or astonishment. - ing: a suffix of germanic origin (old english) used to form present participles and adjectives. - ly: a suffix of germanic origin (old english) used to form adverbs from adjectives.