-ly

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-ly2 suffix forming advs. of manner. OE. -līċe, ME. -liche, -līke, -liʒe, -li(e) = OS., OHG. -līko (Du. -lijk, G. -lich), ON. -liga, Goth. -leikō: f. -LY1 with Gmc. adv. suffix *-ō. The Eng. forms in -li(e), -ly are due to ON. In Gmc. an adv, with this suffix no doubt orig. implied the existence of a corr. adj. in -LY1; in OE. some advs. are formed on simple adjs., as bealdlīċe BOLDLY, swētlīċe SWEETLY, and this type increased greatly in ME. The general sense is ‘in a manner characteristic of one who or a thing that is so-and-so’, hence, ‘in a so-and-so fashion’, ‘to a so-and-so degree’. Advs. referring to moments or periods of time, such as formerly, instantly, lately, quarterly, yearly, were prob. based at first on early; firstly, secondly, etc., were modelled on F. premièrement, L. primo, etc.; formations on sbs. such as namely, partly are prob. based on L. nominatim, partim; formations on pps., such as admittedly, allegedly have become frequent.

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