upwardly
Meaning
In a direction or manner that is moving or pointing towards a higher place, level, or position.
In a way that shows an increase in amount, level, or status.
Structure
Usage
The smoke drifted upwardly from the chimney.
The company's profits have been trending upwardly for the last three quarters.
She is part of an upwardly mobile professional group.
Etymology
The word "upwardly" is a modern English formation built upon the directional adjective "upward," which itself has ancient Germanic roots. Its core component, "up," descends from the Proto-Indo-European root upo, meaning "under, up from under," which evolved in Proto-Germanic to signify "up." The suffix "-ward," from Old English -weard, denotes direction or tendency. The final adverbial suffix "-ly" is a prolific Germanic element used to create adverbs. Thus, the literal construction "in the direction of up" logically extends to describe both physical orientation and metaphorical progression, such as social or economic mobility.
Analysis
- upward: From Old English upweard, combining up (Old English, meaning "to a higher position") and -weard (Old English, meaning "in the direction of"). - ly: From Old English -līce, an adverbial suffix used to form adverbs from adjectives or nouns.