'otherwise' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'ōþerwīsan,' where 'ōþer' meant 'other' and 'wīsan' meant 'manner.'

'ōþerwīsan' transformed into the Middle English word 'otherwyse,' and eventually became the modern English word 'otherwise.'

Initially, it meant 'in another manner,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.