Middle English Dictionary Entry
-lī suf.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | -lī suf.(1) Also -lie, -lich(e, -lik(e, -leche, -lẹ̄, -lei & (early) -lic(e, -liȝ, -lece, -luch; comp. -lier, -licher, -liker, -loker, -laker & (early) -luker, -lucher; sup. -liest, -likest, -lekist, -lokes(t, -lokkest, -lokst(e & (early) -lukest, -lucest. |
| Etymology | OE -līc & ON; cp. OI -ligr. For comp. & sup. forms in -o- and -u-, see K. Luick, Historische Grammatik der engl. Spr., p.242. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A derivational suffix in adjectives derived from OE or ON: armlich, ateoriendlic, atterlich, bigli, craftli, dedli, dirstlece, evenli, fokenlich, forwordenlic, greithli, gromlich, idafenlich, kindeli, lefli, maidenli, reuli, semeli, shortli, ugli, wisli, yerli. In ME it was similarly added to nouns: airli, aueli, bodili(ch, brainli, comparisounli, eldeli, felauli(ch, figeli, grefli, groundli, hedli, justisli, ledli, organli, timli, werkmanli; also to adjectives: boldli, brotheli, diȝeliche, dueli(e, fairli, gidilich, hagherlich, heighli, innerli, throli; sometimes to ppls.: arcumendlice, biholdingli, bi-sekandlike, brocenlic, drosendlic, gastli; rarely to adverbs: erli.
Associated quotations
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