compactly

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Latin compactumbor.

English compact

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English compactly

From compact + -ly.

Adverb

compactly (comparative more compactly, superlative most compactly)

1. In a compact manner
   • a. 1856 (date written), Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], edited by A[rthur] B[ell] Nicholls, The Professor, a Tale. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], published 1857, →OCLC:

     she is of middle size, stiffly made, body long, legs short, bust much developed but not compactly moulded, waist disproportionately compressed by an inhumanly braced corset, dress carefully arranged, large feet tortured into small bottines, head small, hair smoothed, braided, oiled, and gummed to perfection

   • 1905, H. G. Wells, Kipps:

     Old Kipps glanced at her over his spectacles. "You ain't comfortable, my gal, in this world, not if you don't live up to your position," so putting compactly into contemporary English that fine old phrase, noblesse oblige.