Definition of thankfully

The word "thankfully" originated from the Old English word "þæncan," which meant "to thank." Over time, this word evolved into the Middle English "thanken," and later the modern English "thank." The suffix "-ly" was added to the end of words to indicate that the action described by the root word was done in a particular way. For example, "happily" comes from the root word "happy," and "quickly" comes from the root word "quick." "Thankfully" is a compound word composed of the root word "thank" and the suffix "-ly." It first appeared in the English language in the 16th century and was used to describe an action or event that occurred in a way that resulted in thanks being given or expressed. Today, "thankfully" is commonly used to express gratitude for an outcome that could have been negative but was prevented or mitigated. For example, "Thankfully, it didn't rain on the day of our outdoor wedding" or "Thankfully, I caught the virus just before I had to travel." In summary, "thankfully" is a modern English compound word that originated from two older English words, "thank" and "-ly," and is used to indicate gratitude for an outcome resulting from thankfulness.