primly

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English prim

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 primly

From prim + -ly.

Adverb

primly (comparative more primly, superlative most primly)

1. In a prim manner.
   • 1949, Raymond Chandler, The Little Sister:

     She was a small, neat, rather prissy-looking girl with primly smooth brown hair and rimless glasses […]

Synonyms

• (in a prim manner): precisely, properly

Translations

in a prudish manner

• Spanish: mojigatamente f