'affirmatively' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'affirmativus,' where 'affirmare' meant 'to assert' and '-ivus' was a suffix forming adjectives.

'affirmativus' transformed into the Old French word 'affirmatif,' and eventually became the modern English word 'affirmative' through Middle English.

Initially, it meant 'to assert or confirm,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.