-ally

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: ally and Ally

English

[edit]

Alternative forms

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English -ally, -alliche, a combination equivalent to -al (adjectival suffix) + -ly (adverbial suffix). The Middle English suffix was originally non-productive, and was from -ly adverbs based on nouns ending an -al. In modern usage the suffix has been reanalyzed and is now treated as a separate, productive suffix.

Pronunciation

[edit]

Suffix

[edit]

-ally

  1. Alternative form of -ly (adverbial suffix), used with adjectives in -ic.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Three cases should be distinguished: 1.) adjectives in -ic, such as basic, which take the suffix -ally to form adverbs; 2.) adjectives in -ical, like whimsical, which take the suffix -ly; 3.) other adjectives in -al, like original, which take the suffix -ly. Cases 1 and 2 are generally pronounced /-ɪkli/, while case 3 tends to have an extra syllable: /əˈɹɪdʒɪnəli/. Only case 1 is strictly an example of the present lemma.
  • The main exceptions to the rule that adjectives in -ic form adverbs in -ally is public, where publicly is much more common than publically, and (im)politic. There's also a rare franticly.

Derived terms

[edit]

Anagrams

[edit]