-ly
English
/li/, /lɪ/
suffix
Definitions
- 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".
- 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".
- Used to form adjectives from nouns specifying time intervals, the adjectives having the sense of "occurring at such intervals".
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English -ly inherited from Old English -līc inherited from Proto-Germanic *-līkaz (having the body form of, -like, shaped).
Origin
Proto-Germanic
*-līkaz
Gloss
having the body form of, -like, shaped
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- -lich German
- wahrscheinlich German
- -lijk Dutch, Flemish
- eigenlijk Dutch, Flemish
- verwonderlijk Dutch, Flemish
- -lig Norwegian Bokmål
- *-līkaz Proto-Germanic
- -lig Swedish
- -leg Norwegian Nynorsk
- -lic Old English
- -līc Old English
- -liche Middle English
- -ly Middle English
- -ligr Old Norse
- hvilken Danish
- lig Danish
- slig Danish
- -legur Icelandic
- -lijc Middle Dutch
- -lih Old High German
- -līh Old High German
- -lik Afrikaans
- -ligur Faroese
- -lich Middle High German
- -𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌺𐍃 Gothic
- -līk Old Dutch
- -līker Old Swedish
- -lik Old Frisian
- -elk Saterland Frisian