visserligen
Swedish
Etymology
Partly from Old Swedish visselika, partly from Middle Low German wisseliken. The -r- is due to the analogical influence of adverbs like innerligen (“innerly”) and veterligen (“as far as one knows”). By surface analysis, viss (“certain”) + -lig (adjectival suffix) + -en (adverbial suffix).
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Adverb
visserligen
- surely, certainly, admittedly Signals a concession and in the following clause a counterpoint usually headed by men (“but”), stressing that the speaker is aware of the contradiction, but that it does not invalidate the statement.
- Det gör visserligen att jag blir nästan två timmar för tidigt där, men bättre det och slippa regnet.
- Certainly it will cause me to be there almost two hours early, but rather that and avoid the rain.