confusedly

English

WOTD – 3 December 2019

Etymology

From confused +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kənˈfjuːzɪdli/, /kənˈfjuːzdli/

• Audio (RP):

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /kənˈfjuzɪdli/, /kənˈfjuzdli/
• Hyphenation: con‧fus‧ed‧ly

Adverb

confusedly (comparative more confusedly, superlative most confusedly)

1. In a confused manner.

   Synonyms: bewilderedly, mingledly, puzzledly

   • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Sixt”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 97, column 1:

     He wanted Pikes to ſet before his Archers: / Inſtead whereof, ſharpe Stakes pluckt out of Hedges / They pitched in the ground confuſedly, / To keepe the Horſemen off, from breaking in.

   • 1614–1616, R. C., “Scribimus indocti doctique epigrammata passim”, in J[oseph] M[eadows] Cowper, editor, The Times’ Whistle: Or A Newe Daunce of Seven Satires, and Other Poems: [...] Now First Edited from MS. Y. 8. 3. in the Library of Canterbury Cathedral; […], London: Published for the Early English Text Society, by N[icholas] Trübner & Co., […], published 1871, →OCLC, part II (Certaine Poems, Comprising Things Naturall, Morrall, & Theologicall), page 132, lines 1–7:

     Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson] they say 's turned Epigrammatist, / Soe think not I, believe it they that list. / Peruse his booke, thou shalt not find a dram / Of witt befitting a true Epigram. / Perhaps some scraps of play-bookes thou maist see, / Collected heer & there confusedlie, / Which piece his broken stuffe; if thou but note, / Iust like soe many patches on a cote.

   • 1642, John Spalding, edited by James Skene, The History of the Troubles and Memorable Transactions in Scotland and England, from M.DC.XXIV. to M.DC.XLV. [...] In Two Volumes (Publications; no. 25), volume II, printed at Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club; printed by Ballantyne and Co., published 1829, page 51:

     Now ye have the Kingis letter and this ſupplicatioun both coppeit; read and conſidder both the ane and the uther, with the Counſallis anſuer ſent to the ſaid ſupplicatioun, quhilk is ſo ſtrangelie and confuſedlie ſet down that I can not wnderſtand the ſamen perfectlie weill.

   • 1643 December 17, R. Baylie [i.e., Robert Baillie], “[Letter to Mr. William Spang, 7 December 1643 [Julian calendar]]”, in The Letters and Journals of Robert Baillie, A.M. Principal of the University of Glasgow. M.DC.XXXVII.–M.DC.LXII. In Three Volumes (Publications; no. 73), volume II, Edinburgh: Bannatyne Club; [printed by Alexander Lawrie & Co. […]], published 1841, →OCLC, pages 108–109:

     After the prayer, Mr. Byfield the ſcribe, reads the propoſition and the Scriptures, whereupon the Aſſemblie debates in a moſt grave and orderlie way. No man is called up to ſpeak; bot who ſtands up of his own accord, he ſpeaks ſo long as he will without interruption. If two or three ſtand up at once, then the divines confuſedlie calls on his name whom they deſyre to hear firſt: On whom the loudeſt and manieſt voices calls, he ſpeaks.

   • 1648, Robert Herrick, “Delight in Disorder”, in Hesperides: Or, The Works both Humane & Divine […], London: […] John Williams, and Francis Eglesfield, and are to be sold by Tho[mas] Hunt, […], →OCLC, page 55:

     A sweet disorder in the dress / Kindles in clothes a wantonness; / [...] / A cuff neglectful, and thereby / Ribbons to flow confusedly; / [...] Do more bewitch me, than when art / Is too precise in every part.

   • 1816 June – 1831 October 31, Mary W[ollstonecraft] Shelley, chapter XXIII, in Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus (Standard Novels; IX), 3rd edition, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 176:

     There were women weeping around—I hung over it, and joined my sad tears to theirs—all this time no distinct idea presented itself to my mind; but my thoughts rambled to various subjects, reflecting confusedly on my misfortunes, and their cause.

Alternative forms

• confusedlie (obsolete, chiefly Scotland)

Translations

in a confused manner

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 懵然 (měngrán, méngrán, mēngrán)

• French: confusément (fr)
• Georgian: შეცბუნებულად (šecbunebulad)
• Greek:

  Ancient: μίγδην (mígdēn)

• Hungarian: bizonytalanul
• Italian: allucinatamente (it), babelicamente (it), confusamente (it), farraginosamente (it), ingarbugliatamente (it), nebbiosamente (it), turbinosamente
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: permixtim
• Romanian: confuz (ro)
• Russian: бестолко́во (ru) (bestolkóvo), смущённо (ru) (smuščónno)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: не̏сувисло, збу̑њено

  Roman: nȅsuvislo (sh), zbȗnjeno (sh)

• Spanish: confusamente (es)
• Thai: มั่ว (th) (mûua)

See also

• confusingly