Where does “baldly” come from?
Baldly derives from English bald plus the Middle English adverbial suffix -ly, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic balþijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots bʰel- and bʰew- meaning to swell or shine.
baldly (English): In a bald manner
Ancestry of “baldly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bald | Having no hair, fur or feathers; Denuded of any... |
| 2 | Middle English | balled | bald |