selfly

English

Etymology

From Middle English selfly, from Old English selflīċ (“automatic, spontaneous, voluntary”); equivalent to self +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈsɛlfli/

Adjective

selfly (comparative more selfly, superlative most selfly)

  1. Of or pertaining to self or one's own self, personal.
    • 2001, Jed Rasula, Steve McCaffery, Imagining Language: An Anthology:
      This denotes and declares the divided tongues, where every property had brought itself forth out of the universal sensual tongue into a selfishness and a peculiar selfly understanding, so that they did not any longer understand one another […]

Adverb

selfly (not comparable)

  1. In, of, or by one's self; of one's own accord, voluntary, automatic.
    • 1880, Josuah Sylvester, The complete works of Joshuah Sylvester:
      Thy gloomy Front, that selfly hath no light
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