Entries linking to principally
c. 1300, "main, principal, chief, dominant, largest, greatest, most important;" also "great, large," from Old French principal "main, most important," of persons, "princely, high-ranking" (11c.) and directly from Latin principalis "first in importance; original, primitive," from princeps (genitive principis) "first man, chief leader; ruler, sovereign," noun use of adjective meaning "that takes first," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)) + root of capere "to take" (from PIE root *kap- "to grasp").
common adverbial suffix, forming, from adjectives, adverbs signifying "in a manner denoted by" the adjective; Middle English -li, from Old English -lice, from Proto-Germanic *-liko- (source also of Old Frisian -like, Old Saxon -liko, Dutch -lijk, Old High German -licho, German -lich, Old Norse -liga, Gothic -leiko). See -ly (1). It is cognate with lich, and identical with like (adj.).
Weekley notes as "curious" that Germanic uses a word essentially meaning "body" for the adverbial formation, while Romanic uses one meaning "mind" (as in French constamment from Latin constanti mente). The modern English form emerged in late Middle English, probably from influence of Old Norse -liga.
Trends of principally
More to Explore
updated on November 10, 2020
Dictionary entries near principally
princely
princess
Princeton
principal
principality
principally
principia
principle
principled
pringle