Zonally

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that is associated with particular zones or sectors
2. Characterized by references to distinct divisions or areas in a spatial context
3. In a manner connected to specific spatial zones or areas

Etymology: Zonally is about as plain as English adverbs get: it is the adverb of "zonal" (relating to a zone) with the suffix "-ly" added. The adjective "zonal" is itself built from "zone" plus the adjectival ending "-al," so the word is a chain of simple pieces rather than a story with a single coiner or dramatic turn. The suffix "-ly" has a longer history than the word it sits on. It descends from Old English "-līce," which was an adverb-forming ending meaning roughly "in the manner of," and it traces back through Proto-Germanic forms to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "body" or "form." Over the centuries "-līce" wore down to "-ly," and it now attaches to thousands of adjectives, which is why "zonally" can be coined at will whenever someone needs to say something happens in separate areas.