Calmly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈkɑː(ɹ)m.li/

Definitions

1. In a peaceful and composed manner, without agitation or disturbance
2. In a manner characterized by tranquility and serenity, free from anxiety or excitement
3. Exhibiting a state of quietness and self-control, devoid of emotional upheaval or unrest

Etymology: "Calmly" is a plain formation: the adjective "calm" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to it. The suffix has a long ancestry of its own, traceable back through Proto-Germanic to a root meaning "body" or "form," which is why it once meant something like "in the manner of" or "having the form of." Old English "-līċe" and Middle English "-ly" carried that sense of manner forward, so "calmly" literally means "in a calm manner." The base word "calm" entered English from Old French "calme," which came from Late Latin "cauma," meaning the heat of midday. Its ultimate source was Greek "kauma," heat, from a root meaning "to burn." The sense of stillness developed later, from the idea of the hot, windless midday hours when the air lies motionless, so "calm" was originally tied to a hot, still afternoon rather than to a person's temper.

Synonyms: serenely, tranquilly, peacefully

Antonyms: anxiously, nervously, agitatedly