LY
\lˈa͡ɪ], \lˈaɪ], \l_ˈaɪ]\
Sort: Oldest first
-
English -lic, cf. old high German -lik, German -lich, f. OTeut. -liko- (likom form). The suf. forms adjj. f. nn. w. sense having the qualities of (kingly, scholarly, soldierly), or w. sense of recurrence (daily, hourly).
-
English -lice (cf. old high German -licho, German -lich) f. OTeut. -liko- (prec.) + adv. suf. -o. In OTeut. an adv. in -ly implies the existence of an adj. in -ly; but even in old English the suf. (in the form -lice) was added to other adjj., & later became the usu. ending for advv. Down to 17th c. adv. -ly was added even to adjj. in -ly, the orig. -liko being thus doubly represented; these advv. in -lily are now avoided as awkward, & as the adv. use of the adj. (to live god-ly) is also avoided, adjj. in -ly have in ordinary use no corr. adv. Partly is a solitary formation on n. Wds in -le have -ly for -lely (feebly, supply, not feeblely, supplely).
By Sir Augustus Henry