▪ I. † ˈfelly, a. Obs.
[f. fell a. + -ly1.]
= fell.
| 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 17 The felliest folke that ever Antichrist found. 1749 Exile's Lament. in Jacobite Songs & Ballads (1887) 263 Driven by fortune's felly spite. |
▪ II. felly, adv.
(ˈfɛlɪ)
Forms: 3 fellik, 4 fellely, 4–5 fellich(e, (4 fell liche, fellyche), 4–6 felli(e, (6 fellye), 4– felly. Compar. 4 fellaker.
[f. fell a. + -ly2.]
In a fell manner.
1. Fiercely, cruelly, harshly; with deadly malignity or destructive effect.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 4143 (Cott.) Ful fellik þai a-gain answard, ‘Quar-for suld we of oght be ferd?’ a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxxvii. 53 Temptacioun þat felly smytes þe hertes of foles. 1340 Ayenb. 174 Þe more he him smit þe more fellaker: huanne he him yziȝþ onlosti and sleauuol. c 1440 Gaw. & Gol. 576 The feght sa felly thai fang. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 89 The kyng hier saith so felly, that my fadre nor I dyde hym neuer good. 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. viii. 179 The more thei haue, the fellier gnaweth their longing. 1566 Drant Horace' Sat. ii. iii, With feuer quartayne, felly toste. 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. ii. xxvii, The hearts do ne're agree But felly one another do upbray. 1748 Thomson Cast. Indol. ii. xliii, He sat him felly down and gnaw'd his bitter nail. 1802 G. Colman Br. Grins, Knt. & Friar i. liii, In the Field, where late he fought so felly. 1811 Scott Don Roderick li, Never hath the harp of minstrel rung Of faith so felly proved, so firmly true! 1866 Reade Griffith Gaunt xxv, He tore the purse out of Leonard's hand: then seized him felly by the throat. |
b. † Bitterly, keenly; terribly (obs.); hence dial. exceedingly.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 479 He wes Woundit so felly in the face, That he wes dredand of his lif. Ibid. xvi. 217 Thai war so felly fleyit thar That [etc.]. a 1400–50 Alexander 3647 Oure mody kyng of Messedone..Seis þaim faile so ethfully and felly was greued. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis ii. (Arb.) 58 They clymb, in lefthand, with shields, tools fellye rebating. 1807 J. Stagg Poems 37 They ran..Till a' war felly spent. |
† 2. Craftily, cunningly, artfully. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Josh. ix. 4 Thei that dwelten in Gabaon..fellich thenkynge, token to hem meetis [etc.]. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 317 Þerfore he byþouȝt hym felliche and gilefulliche to bere a doun þe children of Israel. c 1400 Beryn 311 With half a sclepy eye pourid fellich vndir hir hood. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 44 The more effectuall..that prayer is..the more felly..laboureth the malycyous enemy to lette it. |
▪ III. felly, v. dial.
(ˈfɛlɪ)
[variant of fallow v.2]
| 1788 W. Marshall Yorksh. Gloss., Felly, to break up a fallow. 1876 Whitby Gloss., Felly, to break up the fallow ground, to plough up the stubble before sowing the crop. |
▪ IV. felly
alternative form of felloe.