sodeynly
Middle English
Alternative forms
- sudeinliche, sodeinliche, sodainliche, sodenly, sodeinly, sodaynely, soudaynely, sudeynly, soubdeynly, sotheynly, sodaynlyche, sodanli
Etymology
Pronunciation
Adverb
sodeynly
- Suddenly, non-gradually; without buildup or warning, in an abrupt way.
- a. 1394, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Knight's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales[1], lines 1575-1576:
- He felte a coold swerd sodeynliche glyde / For ire he quook; no lenger wolde he byde
- He sensed a cold sword suddenly move / He quaked due to rage; he wouldn't keep still any longer
- Unanticipatedly; without warning or prior notice.
- With immediate or quick effect; instantaneously or with great haste.
- Impulsively; in a poorly-thought or ill-conceived way.
- (rare) At the present moment.
Descendants
- English: suddenly
- Scots: suddenly, suddently (modified to match the Middle Scots past participle -and, -ant)
References
- “sodeinlī (adv.)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-20.