basely

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *gʷem-

Proto-Indo-European *-tis

Proto-Indo-European *gʷémtis

Proto-Hellenic *gʷə́tis

Ancient Greek βάσις (básis)bor.?

Ancient Greek βαθύς (bathús)bor.?

Oscanbor.?

Celticbor.?

Late Latin bassus

Old French basbor.

Middle English bas

English base

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English basely

From base + -ly.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adverb

basely (comparative more basely, superlative most basely)

1. In a base manner
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 550:

     With that, out of his bouget forth he drew
     Great ſtore of treaſure, therewith him to tempt;
     But he on it lookt ſcornefully askew,
     As much diſdeigning to be ſo miſdempt,
     Or a war-monger to be baſely nempt;

   • c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     Bar. Oh earth-mettall'd villaines, and no Hebrews born!
     And will you basely thus submit your selves
     To leave your goods to their arbitrament?
     Gov. Why Barabas wilt thou be christned?

   • c. 1861, Charles Dickens, chapter IX, in The Uncommercial Traveller:

     I have sat under Boanerges when he has specifically addressed himself to us — us, the infants — and at this present writing I hear his lumbering jocularity (which never amused us, though we basely pretended that it did), and I behold his big round face, and I look up the inside of his outstretched coat-sleeve as if it were a telescope with the stopper on, and I hate him with an unwholesome hatred for two hours.

   • 1969, The Stair Society - Volume 25, page 453:

     Bearing that . . . the said Roger Murphey . . . did upon Saturnday [11 Dec. 1731] under cloud of night or uponone or other of the nights of the said month without any provocation most basely and felloniously murder and kill the said Francis Galbreth in an outroom of the dwelling house possessed by Robert Compbell, inkeeper at Dalmalie in Glenurchay, with a kive by giving him a would therewith in the belly whereof he dyed within twenty four hours thereafter or thereby, at least at the time and place foresaid when he the said (145) Roger Murphey was strugling with the said Francis Galbreth

Anagrams

• Baleys, Bayles, Belays, Leybas, Ysabel, basyle, belays