Unnervingly

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈʌnˈnɜːvɪŋlɪ/

Definitions

1. In a way that evokes a deep sense of disturbance or anxiety
2. In a manner that elicits feelings of disquiet or nervousness
3. In a manner that induces unease or disturbs the composure

Etymology: "Unnervingly" is a plain formation: the adjective "unnerving" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" attached. The adjective itself is "un-" plus "nerving", and "nerving" is the present participle of "nerve", which traces back through Old English and Germanic roots to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "sinew" or "tendon". The idea was that a tendon is what holds the body together and makes it act, and "nerve" came to mean the strength that keeps a person steady. The suffix has the longer history. It descends from a Proto-Germanic element meaning "body" or "form", which gave Old English "-lic", "like" in the sense of "having the form of". Over centuries "-lic" wore down to "-ly" in Middle English, and by then it had become the usual way to turn an adjective into an adverb. The modern English adverb is therefore an old Germanic compound, not a Latin borrowing.

Synonyms: disconcertingly, unsettlingly