savely

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From sauf +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈsau̯fliː/, /ˈsaːv(ə)liː/, /ˈsaːf(ə)liː/, /ˈsau̯fliːtʃ(ə)/

Adverb

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savely

  1. With safety; without harm or injury:
    1. Lacking danger; safely, harmlessly or in a dangerless manner.
    2. Avoiding sin; in a morally sound or safe manner.
    3. With no risk to one's health or fitness; healthily.
  2. With security; without risk:
    1. Guardedly; ensuring security and lack of loss.
    2. For defensive purposes; in order to preempt harm.
  3. Without doubt or unsureness; with certainness.
    • late 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Nun's Priest's Tale, The Canterbury Tales, line 4396-4399:
      God woot that worldly Ioye is sone ago;
      And if a rethor coude faire endyte,
      He in a cronique saufly mighte it wryte,
      As for a sovereyn notabilitee.
      God knows that worldly joy is soon gone;
      And if a rhetorician could fairly compose,
      He in a chronicle confidently could write it,
      As a supremely important fact.

Descendants

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  • English: safely
  • Scots: safely

References

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