-ally

See also: ally and Ally

English

Alternative forms

• ⠠⠽ (Braille)

Etymology

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

• IPA^(key): /li/, (unusual) /ə.li/
• Homophone: -ly

Suffix

-ally

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

Usage notes

• 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

English terms suffixed with -ally

Anagrams

• Lyla, y'all, ya'll, yall