sely

From Middle English sely, from Old English sǣliġ (“blessed, fortunate”), (also gesǣliġ (“happy, prosperous, blessed, fortunate”)), from Proto-West Germanic *sālīg (“happy”). Equivalent to seel +‎ -y.

sely (comparative selier, superlative seliest)

1. Obsolete form of silly (especially in its older senses like "innocent", "pitiable, poor", "trifling, insignificant", but also "foolish").
   • 1842 10, Lucas's Penny Library, page 18:

     But the troubles of this "poor "sely innocent" were not yet over. The King's mother is indignant at so strange a marriage; and one day in his absence, and by her machinations, Constance and her young child are placed on board a ship to take her chance in the wild sea.

   • 1861, The Church Historians of England: Reformation Period, page 393:

     ... for he, seeing his old and trusty servant so many years, with so extreme A.D. and many torments, broken and dried up, would in no wise heap so many sorrows upon one poor sely wretch, neither would commit him to the flames of fire […]

   • 1872, Emily Sarah Holt, Robin Tremayne, page 250:

     ... my poor sely maiden Maria; but I should find it hard to write a fourth within this palace. I may not make my letter much longer. Prithee tell me some news of England, if any be; and shouldst thou hear ought of my gracious mistress […]

• “sely”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “sely”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

• Slye, leys, lyes, lyse, sley, syle

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɛlɪ]
• Rhymes: -ɛlɪ
• Hyphenation: se‧ly
• Homophone: seli

sely

1. inflection of sít:
   1. inanimate masculine plural past active participle
   2. feminine plural past active participle

sely

1. instrumental plural of selo

• Elsy
• lesy