dementedly

adv

Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Vulgar Latin dē Vulgar Latin dē- Proto-Indo-European *men- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *méntis Proto-Italic *mentis Vulgar Latin mēns Vulgar Latin dēmēns Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Italic *-āō Vulgar Latin -ō Vulgar Latin dēmentōder. English dement Old English -ed ▲ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz Old English -od Middle English -ed English -ed English demented Middle English -ly English -ly English dementedly From demented + -ly.

1. In a demented manner.

   “She snatched up a stick and hit Cora across the rump with it. The stick was rotten and broke, without having caused Cora to budge an inch. Exasperated at an image of obduracy, the old woman scrabbled up another stick and began whacking at Cora with it, screeching dementedly, "Be off out of it and do as you're bid, ye witch."”