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Origin and history of probably

probably(adv.)

mid-15c., probabli, "plausibly, in all likelihood, in a way that seems likely to prove true," from probable + -ly (2). As a general purpose qualifier, "so far as the evidence goes," 1610s.

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to probably

probable(adj.)

late 14c., "likely, reasonable, plausible, having more evidence for than against," from Old French probable "provable, demonstrable" (14c.), from Latin probabilis "worthy of approval, pleasing, agreeable, acceptable; provable, that may be assumed to be believed, credible," from probare "to try, to test" (see prove). As a legal term, probable cause "reasonable cause or grounds" is attested from 1670s.

Probable cause (used with reference to criminal prosecutions), such a state of facts and circumstances as would lead a man of ordinary caution and prudence, acting conscientiously, impartially, reasonably, and without prejudice, upon the facts within his knowledge, to believe that the person accused is guilty. [Century Dictionary]

Related: Probableness.

prolly(adv.)

representing a colloquial shortened pronunciation of probably, by 1922.

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likely
c. 1300, "having the appearance of truth or fact," perhaps from Old Norse likligr "likely," from likr "like" (see like (adj.)). Old English had cognate geliclic. Meaning "having the appearance of being strong and capable" is from mid-15c., though now mostly confined to American E
gab
"chatter, loquacity, idle talk" (mid-13c.), also "falsehood, deceit," originally "a gibe, a taunt" (c. 1200), mid-13c., probably...akin to Old Norse gabb "mocking, mockery," and in part from Old French gap, gab "joke, jest; bragging talk," which also is probably...Probably also there is influence from Scottish and northern English gab "the mouth" (see gob (n.2)); OED reports the word...
poke
"small sack," early 13c., probably from a merger of Old English pohha (Northumbrian poha, pocca) "bag, pocket" and Old Norse..."bag, pouch, pocket," influenced by Old North French poque (12c., Old French poche) "purse, poke, purse-net," which is probably...All of them probably are from Proto-Germanic *puk- (source also of Middle Dutch poke, dialectal German Pfoch), from PIE root...
hallucinate
(later hallucinatus), past participle of alucinari "wander (in the mind), dream; talk unreasonably, ramble in thought," probably...wander in mind, be at a loss, be beside oneself (with grief, joy, perplexity), be distraught," also "wander about," which probably...The Latin ending probably was influenced by vaticinari "to prophecy," also "to rave."...
fluster
(implied in flostrynge), "bluster, agitate," probably from a Scandinavian source (compare Icelandic flaustr "bustle," flaustra..."to bustle"), from Proto-Germanic *flaustra-, probably from PIE *pleud-, extended form of root *pleu- "to flow."...
shrimp
early 14c., "slender, long-tailed, ten-footed, edible marine crustacean," Middle English shrimpe, probably from or related...The connecting notion between the two senses would be probably "thinness" (compare Danish dialectal skrimpe "thin cattle"...OED speculates that the general sense of "shrunken creature, puny person" is probably directly from the etymological source...
crib
Old Saxon kribbia "manger;" Old Frisian and Middle Dutch kribbe; Old High German krippa, German Krippe "crib, manger") probably...Meaning "enclosed child's bed with barred sides" is 1640s; probably from frequent use in reference to the manger where infant...Thieves' slang for "house, public house, shop" dates to at least 1812, but late 20c. slang use for "dwelling house" probably...
all
Old English eall "every, entire, the whole quantity of" (adj.), "fully, wholly, entirely" (adv.), from Proto-Germanic *alnaz (source also of Old Frisian, Old High German al; German all, alle; Old Norse allr; Gothic alls), with no certain connection outside Germanic. As a noun, in
probability
mid-15c., probabilite, "likelihood of being realized, appearance of truth, quality of being probable," from Old French probabilite (14c.) and directly from Latin probabilitatem (nominative probabilitas) "credibility, probability," from probabilis (see probable). Meaning "somethin

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