namelyadj.
/ˈneɪmli/, U.S. /ˈneɪmli/, Scottish English /ˈnemlɪ/ Now rare (in 17th-cent. and later use chiefly Scottish).† 1. Precise, proper. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > freedom from error, correctness > exactness, accuracy, precision > [adjective]
rightOE
namely?c1225
lealc1330
very1338
truec1400
justc1425
exquisite1541
precise?a1560
jump1581
accuratea1599
nice1600
refined1607
punctual1608
press?1611
square1632
exact1645
unerring1665
proper1694
correct1705
pointed1724
prig1776
precisivea1805
as right as a trivet1835
spot on1936
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 156 Alle sunnen sunderliche. bihare nomeliche nomen ne machte nanmon Rikenen.
2. Distinguished, famous; notorious. Occasionally also: notable for something.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > fame or renown > famous or eminent person > [adjective]
mereeOE
athelOE
couthOE
brightOE
namecundc1175
outnumenc1175
noble?c1225
ketec1275
sheenc1275
tirfulc1275
glorious13..
losedc1305
of great renownc1330
glorifieda1340
worthly or worthy in wonea1350
clearc1374
nameda1382
solemna1387
renomeda1393
famous?a1400
renomé?a1400
renowneda1400
notedc1400
of (great, high, etc.) name?c1430
celebrate?1440
namely1440
famosec1449
honourable?c1450
notedc1450
parent?c1450
glorificatec1460
heroical?a1475
insignite?a1475
magnific1490
well-fameda1492
exemie1497
singular1497
preclare1503
magnificential1506
laureate1508
illustre?a1513
illustred1512
magnificent1513
preclared1530
grand1542
celebrated1549
heroicc1550
lustrantc1550
magnifical1557
illustrate1562
expectablec1565
ennobled1571
laurel1579
nominated1581
famosed1582
perspicuous1582
big1587
famed1595
uplifted1596
illustrious1598
celebrousc1600
luculent1600
celebrious1604
fameful1605
famoused1606
renownful1606
bruitful1609
eminent1611
insignious1620
clarousa1636
far-fameda1640
top1647
grandee1648
signalized1652
noscible1653
splendid1660
voiced1661
gloried1671
laurelled1683
distinguished1714
distinct1756
lustrious1769
trumpeted1775
spiry1825
world-famous1832
galactic1902
tycoonish1958
mega1987
Promptorium Parvulorum (Harl. 221) 351 Namely, or syngulere, precipuus.
?c1475 Catholicon Anglicum (BL Add. 15562) f. 84 Namly, excipuus, precipuus.
?1518 A. Barclay tr. D. Mancinus Myrrour Good Maners sig. Ci Count thou nothynge caduke: vayne, frayle, and temporall To be great in valour..But seke that thynge namely, moste chefe and pryncipall.
1579 T. Churchyard Miserie of Flaunders sig. B. iv Namely broills, that breeds in publike state.
1622 in Lett. & State Papers Reign James VI (1838) 349 In your maiestis most princly namelye [ed. nainclye] naeme.
1815 C. I. Johnstone Clan Albin I. xiv. 206 ‘Nay, for that matter’, said Moome,—‘Sky [sic] was always namely for witches.’
1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch 8 I will take you to one of your own trade..who is namely for music.
1917 N. Munro Jimmy Swan 288 The biggest, brawest, nameliest lavatory in Europe.
1953 Scots Mag. Nov. 149 He would need to..go into bankruptcy maybe, with all the misery and shame that would be for a decent namely family.
2012 Dunoon Observer & Argyllshire Standard 30 Nov. 24/4 Mull is namely for the Dervaig midges, which ‘sit up and bark at you’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
namelyadv.
/ˈneɪmli/, U.S. /ˈneɪmli/α. Middle English anamelych, Middle English nameleche, Middle English namelich, Middle English nameliche, Middle English namelych, Middle English namelyche, Middle English namleche, Middle English namlic, Middle English namlich, Middle English namliche, Middle English namlik; N.E.D. (1906) also records forms Middle English namelike, Middle English namlike.
β. Middle English nomeli, Middle English nomeliche, Middle English nomely, Middle English nomelyche, Middle English nomliche, Middle English nomly.
γ. Middle English anamely, Middle English anamly, Middle English nameley, Middle English nameli, Middle English namle, Middle English namli, Middle English namly, Middle English namlye, Middle English nammeli, Middle English naymly, Middle English–1600s namelie, Middle English–1600s namelye, Middle English– namely; Scottish pre-1700 naimly, pre-1700 namelie, pre-1700 namelye, pre-1700 namle, pre-1700 namlie, pre-1700 namly, pre-1700 namlye, pre-1700 naymelie, pre-1700 naymlie, pre-1700 naymly, pre-1700 neamely, pre-1700 nemli, pre-1700 nemlie, pre-1700 1700s– namely; N.E.D. (1906) also records a form Middle English namele.
1. † b. Exactly, precisely; carefully. Obsolete.† c. By name, individually. Obsolete.
a. Particularly, especially, above all. Now rare (in later use chiefly Scottish).Frequently with preceding and.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > quality of being special or extraordinary > [adverb]
hurec893
sunderlyeOE
highlyOE
namelya1200
sunderlepesa1200
sunderlepea1225
specialc1230
specially1340
specially1340
serelya1375
principallyc1390
especially?a1400
rathestc1400
singularlyc1430
selfly1503
singular1530
enspecial1534
inespecially1557
nearly1560
peculiarly1561
inespecial1569
especial1591
speciouslya1616
nominately1641
chief1645
perpendicularly1658
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > the quality of being specific > [adverb] > namely or that is to say
namelya1200
i.a1300
namandlya1400
scilicet?a1425
videlicet1464
scil.a1500
viz.a1543
innuendo1564
videl.1589
sc.1607
i.e.1662
vid.1676
v.g.1678
α.
β. a1225 (?OE) MS Lamb. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1868) 1st Ser. 139 (MED) Sunnedei ah efri cristenne Mon nomeliche to chirche cume.a1250 in C. Brown Eng. Lyrics 13th Cent. (1932) 7 Þu hit wost ful ȝeorne þat þe deouel hateð me, And nomeliche þereuore þet ich wurðie þe.?1316 Short Metrical Chron. (Royal) 75 in J. Ritson Anc. Eng. Metrical Romanceës (1802) II. 273 Al thyn honour were leid adoun, And nomeliche to thy lemmon.a1400 (?c1300) Lay Folks Mass Bk. (Royal) (1879) 615 I thonk God of his godnesse, And nomely now of þis messe.a1450 St. Edith (Faust.) (1883) 4496 Williham was a fulle sputusmon..& nomely bokke-hunters in his tyme nad no rest.c1540 (?a1400) Gest Historiale Destr. Troy 3325 Weikenes of wemen may not wele stryve..And nomely in an unkythe lond.γ. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) 2508 (MED) Namli, when we han nede neuer he ne fayleþ þat he ne bringeþ wher we ben þat to vs bi-houes.c1390 (a1376) W. Langland Piers Plowman (Vernon) (1867) A. ii. 115 Fauel..bad Gyle go to and ȝyue gold aboute, And namely to this notaries.a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 4442 (MED) Þus can godd help man in nede, Namli þat wil him luue and dred. tr. Palladius De re Rustica (Duke Humfrey) (1896) ii. 131 Rude erthe and namly wodlond best is hold For pastynyng.1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) iii. 72 Whan reynawde vnderstode the good wyll of his folke, & namly of his brethern [etc.].a1500 (?c1450) Merlin 8 In that the feende repaireth moste, bothe in man and woman, namly, when they be in grete ire.1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 26 To bee pronounced by a philosophier and namely but such a philosophier as Socrates.1608 E. Topsell Hist. Serpents 126 I finde some difference about the nature of this lyuing creature, and namely whether it bee a Serpent or a Fishe.1632 in L. B. Taylor Aberdeen Council Lett. (1942) I. 360 Thair is no reasone to hicht the pryce of silver..and namelie to heicht the said silver to such ane excessive pryce as the dolloris.1704 in N. Bouton Provinc. Papers New-Hampsh. (1868) II. 327 Returning thanks..for many blessings and favors..And, namely, [mainly] for the enjoyment of the Gospel.1825 J. Stirton Thrums (1896) 64 It turned out for to be a very bad crope namely in the heed of the countray.1890 W. Allingham Laurence Bloomfield 127 Small Owners, namely. North, south, east, and west, I'd plant them.1992 M. Kumin Looking for Luck 85 A writer..Thinly disguising the whereabouts, Squabbles, sexual habits Of people we lived with, namely Those voices and mirrors, our family.a1200 MS Trin. Cambr. in R. Morris Old Eng. Homilies (1873) 2nd Ser. 51 Hie..folgeden here lichames wille, nameliche on two þigges: þat was muðes mede, þat oðer hordom.
c1300 Life & Martyrdom Thomas Becket (Harl. 2277) (1845) l. 21 Hi furde the bet for him also. And nameliche thurf a maide that this Gilbert lovede faste.
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1876) VI. 257 (MED) He..hadde greet likynge in Austyn his bookes, and nameliche [L. potissime] in his bookes de Civitate Dei.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 8967 (MED) Prophecies þer-of sco tald, And namlikes [a1400 Gött. namlyest] o domes-dai.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 110 A perilose thing is it forto appeire vntreuly a mannys name, and namelich a prelatis name.
a1475 in A. Clark Eng. Reg. Godstow Nunnery (1906) ii. 633 (MED) Hit is vn-semeli & ageiniste reson þat contrauersi, nameliche amonge religious folke, lawfully endid sholde be soreli I-meuid ageine.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > care, carefulness, or attention > [adverb]
welleOE
carefullya1000
wiselyc1000
redelya1250
cherelya1375
tentivelya1375
viselyc1380
curiouslya1382
namelya1382
smartlya1400
tentily?a1400
dearlyc1400
diligentlyc1400
preciously?a1425
listly?a1513
charely1545
heedely1548
accurately1549
respectively1556
heedfully1561
howfully1565
charily1577
heedily1577
charya1593
solicitously1618
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) Prol. Kings 57 Þe sixte is danyel, þe seuenþe dabrejamyn, þat is þe woordis of daies, þe whiche more namely [a1425 L.V. kouthly] wee mown clepyn þe cronycle of al goddis storie.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 25712 Þar es namle bote o tuin, Mai bring man vte of bale and sin.
c1450 (?a1400) Wars Alexander (Ashm.) 582 Latt him..norisch him as namely as he myne awyn warre.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [adverb]
by nameOE
namely1551
nuncupatively1591
namedlya1641
nominally1641
namingly1847
nominately1880
1551 R. Robinson tr. T. More Vtopia ii. sig. Hviii Wher to be present they onlye be constreined that be namelye chosen and appoynted to learnynge.
1588 J. Udall Demonstr. Trueth of Discipline i. 1 Neyther are the offices and officers, namely, and particularly expressed in the Scriptures.
1599 First Bk. Preseruation Henry VII i. sig. H4 Edvvard namely the fourth, did know for a certaine, That these venturus Earles were sailed safely to Brittaine.
a. At least, at any rate. Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > smallness of quantity, amount, or degree > [adverb] > at least
hurec893
namelya1382
leastways1759
leastway1856
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) Num. xxii. 14 Ȝif þe fadyr of here hadde spet in to here face, wheþer sholde sche not nameleche [L. saltem] seuene dayȝes wiþ reednes be vnder held?
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1874) V. 407 (MED) Assenteþ to me, nameliche, in þre þinges, ȝif ȝe willeþ nouȝt assente to me and [v.r. in] þe oþere.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 511 (MED) A mannys fader and modir ben to him grettist benefetouris, or namelich ben in grettist wil forto be benefetouris to him.
c1475 (c1445) R. Pecock Donet (1921) 17 (MED) It must be vndirstonde namelich in oon manere þus.
b. Expressing an extreme case: even. Obsolete.
ΚΠ
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) 2 Kings xiii. 30 Absolon haþ smyten alle þe sones of þe kyng & þer lafte not of hem nameli oon.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 25 (MED) It is welnyȝ al that Holi Writt dooth or namelich entendith forto teche aboute eny moral vertu.
?a1475 (a1396) W. Hilton Scale of Perfection (Harl. 6579) i. xvi. f. 10 (MED) Þou..art..so blind in gostli þinges, and namli of þin owen soule whilk þe bihouiþ first knowe.
3. † b. as namely: for example. Obsolete.
a. Introducing more detailed information or a particular example: that is to say, to be specific; to wit.
ΚΠ
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 227 (MED) Of þat piler in an arche beeþ vers i-write..and nameliche of þe ouermost stone.
c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn 1049 (MED) Beryn cam nat þere, Namelich in-to the place there his modir lay.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) 1 Kings iii. 13 That thou hast not prayed for, haue I geuen the also, namely, ryches, and honoure.
1574 A. Golding tr. A. Marlorat Catholike Expos. Reuelation 28 That is to wit, whiche are already past: namely my passion and resurrection.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 242 My Host told me a strange thing, namely that in Alexandria of Ægypt..there was a Dovecote.
1682 J. Norris tr. Hierocles Golden Verses 5 Namely, to consider what is meant by the Law and the Order of it.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 123. ⁋4 They both agreed upon an Exchange of Children, namely that the Boy should be bred up with Leontine as his Son [etc.].
1798 G. Washington Let. in Writings (1893) XIV. 99 It would then have been understood as it is at present, namely, that the gentlemen would rank in the order they are named.
1855 A. Bain Senses & Intellect ii. i. 349 A third quality of sounds, namely, cadence or accent.
1875 A. Helps Social Pressure iii. 48 The worst and most disheartening point..is this namely,—that the course of modern thought and modern life is set against these improvements.
1934 R. Graves I, Claudius vii. 110 I have mentioned Julia's children..namely, her three boys, Gaius, Lucius, and Postumus, and her two daughters, Julilla and Agrippina.
1998 J. Irving Widow for One Year 442 He'd asked her to look for some important papers—namely, a codicil to his will.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > individual character or quality > an individual case or instance > in the particular case [phrase] > for instance or example
for example?a1439
as namely1565
exempli causa1569
exempli gratia1591
e.g.1622
ex. gr.1635
for instance1657
exemp. gratia1667
for the purpose1680
par exemple1801
sample this1998
1565 A. Golding tr. Ovid Fyrst Fower Bks. Metamorphosis iv. f. 12 A long discourse of all his happes..As namely of what seas and lands the coasts hee ouerflew.
1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. G7 Almost all things, as namelie butter, cheese, fagots.
1600 J. Pory tr. J. Leo Africanus Geogr. Hist. Afr. viii. 307 There is most excellent outlandish linnen cloth to be sold, as namely fine cloth of cotton brought from Balabach.
1653 I. Walton Compl. Angler vi. 141 There is more than one sort of them [sc. Salmon], as namely, a Tecon. View more context for this quotation
1678 J. Bunyan Pilgrim's Progress 56 Some other small matters I saw, as namely I saw three Men, Simple, Sloth, and Presumption, lye a sleep a little out of the way as I came. View more context for this quotation
1818 C. Lamb John Woodvil v, in Wks. I. 153 What part or portion can I claim In all the decencies of virtuous sorrow, Which other mourners use? as namely, This black attire, abstraction from society, Good thoughts, and frequent sighs, [etc.].
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.?c1225
adv.a1200