English
deadly
Deadly comes from Middle English dedly ‘deadly, lethal’, from Old English dēadlīċ ‘mortal’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰew-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰew-1reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dawjaną1‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*daudaz1‘dead’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*daud1‘dead’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēad1
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēadlīċ1‘mortal’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dedly1‘deadly, lethal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1541deadly1
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English deadly
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1541, Rychard Whitforde, London: [W]yllyam Myddylton: “[…]he ſuffred hym ſelfe to be made mortall and…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰew-Wiktionary, English deadlyreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*dawjanąWiktionary, English deadly‘to die’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*daudazWiktionary, English deadly‘dead’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*daudWiktionary, English deadly‘dead’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēadWiktionary, English deadly
- Old Englishc. 450–1150dēadlīċWiktionary, English deadly‘mortal’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500dedlyWiktionary, English deadly‘deadly, lethal’
- Englishearliest quotation 1541deadlyWiktionary, English deadly. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1541, Rychard Whitforde, London: [W]yllyam Myddylton: “[…]he ſuffred hym ſelfe to be made mortall and…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰew-
death, funeral, dusty, typhus, doze, funerary, dwindle, 3 more
through Proto-Germanic *dawjaną ‘to die’
Today it means
adj Subject to death; mortal.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “deadly”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰew- / deadly