Florally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. having qualities or features that reflect or resemble flowers in design and decoration
2. In a way that suggests or evokes the appearance, scent, or qualities of flowers
3. Executed or expressed with characteristics typical of flowers, such as color, form, or fragrance

Etymology: "Florally" is a plain formation: the adjective "floral" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to it. "Floral" itself comes from Latin "floralis", meaning "of flowers", which is built on "flos" ("flower"). The suffix has a longer history than the base word suggests. It descends from a Proto-Germanic element meaning something like "body" or "form", which passed through Old English "-līċe" and Middle English "-ly" before settling into the English adverb ending that turns adjectives into manner words. So "florally" describes doing something in the manner of a flower, a sense that the suffix carries directly. The word is a straightforward derivation rather than a coinage with a notable author or dramatic shift in meaning, and its history is best understood as the meeting of a Latin adjective with a Germanic suffix that has been in English for over a thousand years.

Synonyms: botanically, flower-like, bloomingly, herbally, plant-like