Awkwardly
/ˈɔːkwədli/noun
In an awkward manner; clumsily, embarrassingly, or with difficulty.
Did you know?Awkwardly comes from a chain that began with an Old Norse word for “turned the wrong way,” which English later reshaped into a feeling of social clumsiness.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
afugr
“turned backward; facing the wrong way”
Old English
OE
afweard
“backward, awry”
Middle English
English
awkward
“left-handed, clumsy, or in the wrong direction”
16th Century
English
awkwardly
“in a clumsy or improper manner”
Modern English
English
awkwardly
“in a clumsy, uncomfortable, or embarrassing way”
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