'somatically' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'soma', where 'soma' meant 'body'. The adjective-forming suffix '-ic' (from Greek '-ikos') and the adverbial suffix '-ally' (from English '-al' + '-ly') were added in later stages.

'somatically' derives from the adjective 'somatic', which comes from Greek 'sōmatikos' (σωματικός) meaning 'of the body'. The Greek root passed into Late Latin and then into scientific and medical English as 'somatic' in the 19th century; the adverb 'somatically' was formed in English by adding the typical adverbial ending.

Initially, the root referred simply to 'of the body' or 'bodily'; over time this core sense remained, with 'somatically' specializing to mean 'in a bodily/physical manner' (often contrasted with mental or psychological).