Ambiently

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that relates to the surrounding atmosphere or environment
2. Describes an action done in a way that envelops or encompasses the area around
3. Performed with regard to the ambient conditions or the immediate setting

Etymology: "Ambiently" is simply "ambient" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached, so the interesting history lies mostly in "ambient" itself. "Ambient" comes from the Latin "ambiens," the present participle of "ambire," meaning "to go around," built from "ambi-" ("around") and "ire" ("to go"). The image is of something that goes around or surrounds you, which is exactly what the modern sense preserves: the air, light or sound that encircles a person or thing. The ending traces back much further and more humbly. The "-ly" suffix descends from an old Germanic word meaning "body" or "form," seen in the sense of "having the form or appearance of," so that "lovely" once meant something like "having a lovely form." Over centuries it became a general marker for turning adjectives into adverbs, and it attaches freely to newer words like "ambient," which is why "ambiently" can be formed without any special rules.

Synonyms: peripherally, surroundingly