Afferently

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner associated with the conduction of sensory signals directed towards the central nervous system
2. Relating to the pathways that relay information from sensory organs to the brain for processing
3. In a manner that involves carrying sensory impulses from the body's receptors to the central nervous system

Etymology: "Afferently" is a plain formation: the adjective "afferent" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to it. The adjective "afferent" comes from Latin "afferens," the present participle of "afferre," meaning "to bring to" or "to carry toward," built from "ad-" ("to") and "ferre" ("to carry"). Physiologists applied it to nerves that carry signals inward, toward the brain and spinal cord, which is the sense the adverb inherits. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the Latin base. "-ly" descends from Old English "-līċe," a form tied to the word "līc," meaning "body" or "form," which is also the source of the English "-like" in words such as "godlike." Over the centuries "-līċe" weakened to "-ly," and it now attaches freely to adjectives to produce adverbs of manner.