In a manner resembling or characteristic of flying; swiftly through the air or at high speed.
Derived from 'flying' (present participle of 'fly') plus the adverbial suffix '-ly' (from Old English 'like'). The formation dates to Middle English and represents a productive pattern of creating adverbs from present participles. It emphasizes speed and aerial motion.
While 'flyingly' is a legitimate English construction, it's quite rare in modern usage—writers tend to prefer simpler alternatives like 'swiftly' or 'rapidly.' It survives mainly in poetic or archaic texts, showing how English prefers to drop redundant adverbs over time.
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