Talk:subtely

RFV discussion: October–November 2017

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subtely

Really? --Robbie SWE (talk) 18:51, 18 October 2017 (UTC)

This belongs at RFD. --2A02:2788:A4:F44:941B:CB97:8C8A:64F0 19:02, 18 October 2017 (UTC)

Not necessarily. It could be an attestable alternative form.

GBS has enough results, that is for the word itself, though the meaning seems to fit. Comparing the number of results (according to Google which is often incorrect), "subtely" could however be relatively rare, nonstandard or a maybe typo. BTW: Chaucer (Lansdowne MS, edited by Frederick J. Furnivall -- Middle English) has "subtely" too. -84.161.7.50 19:20, 18 October 2017 (UTC)

A whopping 4,940 Usenet hits. Most appear to be misspellings of "subtly". Khemehekis (talk) 21:35, 21 October 2017 (UTC)

To clarify: It is my understanding that on Wiktionary, misspellings are to be kept if they are common (and of course, identified as misspellings). So this one shouldn't be deleted. Khemehekis (talk) 04:55, 26 October 2017 (UTC)

Is it even a misspelling?

• 1533, A playne and godly Exposytion or Declaration of the Commune Crede (Which in the Latin tonge is called Symbolum Apostolorum) [...] put forth by [...] Erasmus of Roterdame. At the requeste of [...] Thomas Erle of Wyltshyre [...] (p. "66,5"):

  Nexte cometh Arrius by soo muche the more wretched and madde in opynyon, by howe muche he dothe more subtely and craftily geue unto Christ the body of a man, and taketh from hym the sowle of a man, [...]

Just like nexte, muche, dothe, opynyon etc. subtely doesn't seem to be a misspelling. That is, even if it is a misspelling nowadays(!), it could correctly be "misspelling or obsolete". Additionally it could be and could have been rare.

Is it a misspelling nowadays(!)?

www.dictionary.com/misspelling?term=subtely&s=t for example doesn't have it, which could mean it's rare or considered to be incorrect.

What's "common" mean in Category:English misspellings?

I don't know. But maybe subtely is common enough.

-84.161.20.16 21:04, 28 October 2017 (UTC)

Here are enough citations for attestion:
English adverb:

1. {{lb|en|rare}} {{alternative form of|subtly|lang=en}} [which has further alt forms: subtlely, subtilly]
   • 1533, A playne and godly Exposytion or Declaration of the Commune Crede (Which in the Latin tonge is called Symbolum Apostolorum) And of the .x. Commaundementes of goddes law. Newly made and put forth by the famouse clarke Mayster Erasmus of Roterdame. At the requeste of the moste honorable lorde, Thomas Erle of Wyltshyre : father to the moste gratious and wertuous Quene Anne wyf to our most gracyous soueraygne lorde kynge Henry the .viii.

     Nexte cometh Arrius by soo muche the more wretched and madde in opynyon, by howe muche he dothe more subtely and craftily geue unto Christ the body of a man, and taketh from hym the sowle of a man, [...]

   • 1560, The newe Testament of our Lord Iesus Christ, Geneva (section: "The Actes of the holie Apostles written by Luke the Euangeliste", "chap. vii"):

     19 The same dealt subtely with our kinred, and euil intreated our fathers, & made them to cast out their yong children, that they shulde not remaine aliue.

   • 1793, Pleas of the Crown in Matters Criminal and Civil: Containing a Large Collection of Modern Precedents [...] The Whole collected By the Late Sir John Tremaine [..] Digisted and Revised By the Late Mr. John Rice [..] And Translated into English, by Thomas Vickers [..], Dublin (section: "The King against Nevill. Hilary, the 30th & 31st Charles II. 2. By Libels."):

     [...] was indicted for drivers high treasons, in falsely, maliciously, subtely and traiterously purposing, [...]

Middle English adverb:

1. {{alternative form of|subtilly|lang=enm}}
   • 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, Frederick J. Furnivall (editor), The Lansdowne MS (No. 851) of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, page 530 (section: "The second nun's tale. Lansdowne MS. [The Poem.]"):

     [...] Þis ilke storie subtely to endyte [...]

-84.161.10.235 17:24, 30 October 2017 (UTC)

This should be undeleted and cited, and marked as either a misspelling or archaic (or both). Khemehekis (talk) 02:27, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

cited as obsolete. Kiwima (talk) 23:23, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

RFV-passed Kiwima (talk) 23:50, 13 November 2017 (UTC)