In a manner relating to or affecting the body; physically or as far as the body is concerned.
Compound of 'body' (Old English 'bodig') and the suffix '-wise' (Old English 'wisan', meaning 'manner' or 'direction'). The '-wise' suffix became productive in English for creating adverbs indicating manner or direction. Meaning evolved from indicating position to indicating manner or aspect.
The '-wise' suffix was incredibly popular in Middle English for creating adverbs—we still use it today in words like 'otherwise,' 'clockwise,' and 'likewise.' It's a Germanic word-building pattern that shows how English speakers loved creating new adverbs by adding '-wise' to almost anything, even if many of those creations didn't survive.
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