devoutly

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti

Proto-Indo-European *h₁wogʷʰéyeti

Proto-Italic *woɣʷeō

Latin voveō

Latin dēvoveō

Proto-Indo-European *-tós

Proto-Italic *-tos

Latin -tus

Ecclesiastical Latin dēvōtuslbor.

Old French devotbor.

Middle English devout

English devout

Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der.

Proto-Germanic *līkąder.

Proto-Germanic *-līkaz

Proto-Germanic *-ê

Proto-Germanic *-līkê

Proto-West Germanic *-līkē

Old English -līċe

Middle English -ly

English -ly

English devoutly

From devout + -ly.

Adverb

devoutly (comparative more devoutly, superlative most devoutly)

1. In a devout manner.
   • 1591, Edmund Spenser, The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5‎^[1]:

     […] I did espie Where towards me a sory wight did cost*, Clad all in black, that mourning did bewray, And Iacob staffe in hand devoutly crost, Like to some pilgrim come from farre away.

   • 1594, Thomas Nash, “The Terrors of the Night”, in Anecdotes of Literature and Scarce Books‎^[2], volume I, published 1807, →OCLC, page 270:

     " Without further parley, upon their knees they fell most devoutly, and for helpe on heaven never ceased extensively to intercessionate God, for his speedie recoverie.

   • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Influence of the Dead”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 271:

     He had no vague false notions of beginning fires in November, and ending them in May; but had arrived at the philosophical conclusion, that there are very few evenings, in all the year, that a fire is not a consummation of domestic felicity in England most devoutly to be wished.

   • 1716, Jonathan Swift, Phyllis, or the Progress of Love:

     Or on the mat devoutly kneeling,
     Would lift her eyes up to the ceiling,
     And heave her bosom unaware
     For neighbouring beaux to see it bare.

   • 1985 December 21, Laurie Sherman, “Lesbian Students' Parents Getting Anonymous Calls”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 23, page 1:

     After receiving a call in March of 1984, her devoutly Catholic parents followed the telephoner's advice of seeking help, speaking with a priest and two male psychiatrists.

   • 2012, Nick Tosches, Me and the Devil: A Novel, →ISBN:

     She probably even believed she was a Roman Catholic. But what she really was, deeply and devoutly, was a superstitionist.

Translations

1. In a devout manner

• German: andächtig (de)