Etymology

brotherly

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Today it means: Of or characteristic of brothers. Full definition →

Middle English brotherly ← Old English brōþorlīċ ← Proto-West Germanic *brōþerlīk
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brotherly · adjective1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*brōþērlīkaz
  2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*brōþerlīk
  3. Old English · inherited frombrōþorlīċ
  4. Middle English · inherited frombrotherly
  5. English todaybrotherly

From Middle English brotherly, from Old English brōþorlīċ, from Proto-West Germanic *brōþerlīk, from Proto-Germanic *brōþērlīkaz, equivalent to brother + -ly (adjectival suffix). Cognate with Dutch broederlijk (“brotherly”), German brüderlich (“brotherly”), Swedish broderlig (“brotherly”). Piecewise doublet of friarly.

brotherly · adverb2

  1. Middle English · inherited frombrotherly
  2. English todaybrotherly

From Middle English brotherly, equivalent to brother + -ly (adverbial suffix).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.