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-ly

//li// suffix

Definitions

Suffix
  1. 1
    Used to form adjectives from nouns, the adjectives having the sense of "behaving like, or having a nature typical of what is denoted by the noun" Similar in meaning to -like but most often paired with animate nouns. morpheme

    "man + -ly → manly"

  2. 2
    Used to form adverbs from adjectives and nouns. morpheme

    "sudden + -ly → suddenly"

  3. 3
    Used to form adjectives from nouns, the adjectives having the sense of "appearing like, resembling, or having the likeness of what is denoted by the noun". morpheme

    "bloom + -ly → bloomly"

  4. 4
    Used to form company or brand names. morpheme

    "book + -ly → Bookly"

  5. 5
    Used to form adjectives from nouns specifying time intervals, the adjectives having the sense of "occurring at such intervals". morpheme

    "month + -ly → monthly"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English -ly, -li, -lik, -lich, -like, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-West Germanic *-līk, from Proto-Germanic *-līkaz (“having the body or form of”), from *līką (“body”) (whence lich). In form, probably influenced by Old Norse -ligr (“-ly”) (Norwegian Bokmål -lig, Faroese -ligur, Icelandic -legur). Cognate with Dutch -lijk, German -lich, Danish -lig and Swedish -lig. Doublet of -like, more at like.

Etymology 2

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *-līkê Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly From Middle English -ly, -li, -liche, from Old English -līċe.

See also for "-ly"

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