Keenly
/ˈkiːnli/noun
In a sharp, intense, or eager manner.
Did you know?The core of *keen* goes back to Old English *cēne*, meaning “brave” or “wise,” so the word’s modern “sharpness” grew out of an older idea of fierce, penetrating intelligence.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth; produce”
Old English
English
cēne
“bold, brave, keen, sharp”
Middle English
English
kene
“sharp; eager; intense”
14th Century
English
keenly
“in a sharp, eager, or intense manner”
Modern English
English
keenly
“in a sharp, intense, or eager manner”