bluntly (adv.)

early 15c., "gradually;" mid-15c., "unskillfully;" 1550s, "stupidly," from blunt (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "directly, abruptly" is from 1570s.

Entries linking to bluntly

blunt (adj.)

c. 1200, blunt, blont, "dull, obtuse" (of persons), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from or related to Old Norse blundra "to shut one's eyes" (see blunder (v.)). Or from Old English blinnan (past participle blon) "to stop, cease, come to an end." Of tools or weapons, "not sharp, without edge or point," late 14c. Meaning "abrupt of speech or manner" is from 1580s. Late 18c. Scottish writers used blunty (n.) for "stupid fellow."

-ly (2)

common adverbial suffix, forming from adjectives adverbs signifying "in a manner denoted by" the adjective, Middle English, from Old English -lice, from Proto-Germanic *-liko- (cognates: Old Frisian -like, Old Saxon -liko, Dutch -lijk, Old High German -licho, German -lich, Old Norse -liga, Gothic -leiko); see -ly (1). Cognate with lich, and identical with like (adj.).

Weekley notes as "curious" that Germanic uses a word essentially meaning "body" for the adverbial formation, while Romanic uses one meaning "mind" (as in French constamment from Latin constanti mente). The modern English form emerged in late Middle English, probably from influence of Old Norse -liga.

Share bluntly

‘cite’

Page URL:

https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly

HTML Link:

<a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly">Etymology of bluntly by etymonline</a>

APA style:

Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of bluntly. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of bluntly,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of bluntly.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of bluntly.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/bluntly (accessed $(datetime)).

Definitions of bluntly

bluntly (adv.)

in a blunt direct manner;

he spoke bluntly

Synonyms: bluffly / brusquely / flat out / roundly

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near bluntly

blunder

blunderbuss

blunderful

blundering

blunt

bluntly

bluntness

blur

blurb

blurry

blurt