specially

specially, adv.
  (ˈspɛʃəlɪ)
  Forms: 3–4 specialliche, 4– specially, 5 -alli, 6 -allie, -allye; 4 specialyche, -ich(e, -ali, 4–5 -aly, 6 -alie; 4 specyaly, 5 specealy, 5–6 specyally (5 spes-); 6 spetiallye, 7 -ally.
  [f. special a. + -ly², after L. speciāliter or OF. (e)speciaument, (e)specialement (mod.F. spécialement). Cf. especially adv.]
  1. In a special manner; in a degree or to an extent beyond what is usual or customary; particularly.

1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 10220 Þe king of alimayne sende specialliche inou To king Ion þat he wiþdrowe him of is wou. 13.. Seuyn Sages (W.) 3547 On God in heuyn ay thinkes he, And specially he praied him till To help him. 1340 Ayenb. 7 Þise þri hestes diȝteþ ous to gode specialliche. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 467 The kyng..sperit syne full specialy, Giff ony man couth tell tithand [etc.]. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 12 Ȝet childyr dydden hym worschyp spesyaly byfor any oþer seynt. 1486 Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905) 18 The said preest..to..be alwey charged specially & deuoutly to pray daily..for the soule of the said Iohn Nasyng. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 20 Preamble, Your said Besecher..was specially requyred to arrest and take the said John. 1548–9 (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer 127 b, Speciallye we beseche thee to saue and defende thy seruaunt, Edwarde our Kyng. 1590 Sir J. Smith Disc. Weapons Ded. 9 b, They haue vsed diuers waies.., but chieflie two, speciallie to be noted. 1617 Moryson Itin. ii. 50 Not so much in secrecy and in sparingnesse of speech..as more specially in Court factions. 1711 in Nairne Peerage Evidence (1874) 135 Lykeas by the said first contract..it is specially provided and declared. 1816 A. Knox Rem. (1834) I. 49 The House of Lords and the Established Church are specially united to each other. 1860 Tyndall Glac. ii. xvi. 313 Measurements..which bear more specially upon the subject. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 404 There appears to be a need of some bold man who specially honours plainness of speech.

  b. Qualifying adjs. and advs.

1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 207 A Specialy behouabill Place of Prayynge is a pryue Place. 1530 Palsgr. 842 Specially wel,..fort bien. 1535 Coverdale Song Sol. ii. 4 He..loueth me specially well. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T. Matt. iii. 2 Tho' repentance be always a duty, it's specially necessary to..our assurance of pardon. 1847 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. III. 659 That alliance of a specially religious nature. 1867 Mitchell Rural Studies 108 As a hint for better ones, I think it specially good. 1871 Freeman Hist. Ess. Ser. i. viii. 243 The military results..were not specially glorious.

  2. Of special purpose; expressly.

c 1315 Shoreham i. 1219 God ches folk specialliche..Offyce for to fonge. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 935 Alle þe world so wyde and brade, Our Lord speciali for man made. c 1410 Hoccleve Mother of God 115 The fadir god gan edifie (By his sone oonly-geten specially) To him an hows.

1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 502 Mr. Mills invariably raises plants specially for that purpose. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. II. 179/2 It is better to make them specially for each patient.

  b. By special effort or application.

1882 Freeman Amer. Lect. 124 The Latin tongue..lives on..as a book-language specially learned.

  3. Above or beyond, more than, other things or persons; in a supreme degree; pre-eminently.

c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3603 Þan may þe saules in purgatory, By way of grace specialy, Be delivered of pyn. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. ix. (Skeat) l. 15 But specialliche, predestinacion of goodnesse alone is sayd by these grete clerkes. c 1400 Love Bonavent. Mirr. (1908) 160 It is ful perilous..to..haue a name of holynesse, as hauen specially thise recluses. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. V, 9 b, In two places specially, the one at the elbow of the citie,..& the other in the very bowels. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. i. 121 To labour and effect one thing specially.

  b. Freq. and specially, used to introduce a clause following upon a previous statement.

1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 59 To alle crystyn men,..And speciali, alle be name, Þe felaushepe of Symprynghame. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 101 Wherefore we alle scholde be meke, and specialyche prestes. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiv. 154 Þai can speke wele of þe Bible and specially of þe buke of Genesis. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 16 God..preserve him in alle manner thing. And specially..In enmyes handis that he nevir ffalle. 1481 Caxton Godfrey xlvii. 88 But oure peple, and specially the Frenssmen, myght not byleue that this Ioye..myght come of ony trayson. 1535 Coverdale Isaiah lx. 9 The Iles also shal gather them vnto me, and specially the shippes of y⊇ see. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. v. 35 To the great pleasure..of vs.., and specially of the faire dames. 1617 Moryson Itin. iv. 420 Toscany, and more spetially the Citty and State of Florence therein contayned, is noted to yeald men of stronge memorye. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xxxv. 216 In the Writings of Divines, and specially in Sermons. 1807 A. Knox Rem. (1834) I. 71 For the attention I have ever received from them, and specially for the invaluable regard of individuals, I trust I am cordially grateful.

  c. Similarly without and.

1483 Caxton Cato B vj, Thou oughtest not to mocke..none other, specyally whan thy wyll is to haue companye with hem. 1538 Starkey England i. ii. 30 That thyng wych one callyth lyght knolege..the other callyth ignorance, specyally when hyt ys ouercome wyth the contrary persuasyon. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 14 b, That the sicke may be..looked vnto, specially yf their diseases be contagious. 1625 Bacon Ess., Wisd. for Man's Self (Arb.) 183 And be so true to thy Selfe, as thou be not false to Others; Specially to thy King, and Country. 1807 G. Chalmers Caledonia I. iii. ix. 451 Toscheoderach, an officer, or jurisdiction, not unlike to a baillierie, specially, in the isles. 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 11 Child's play call it—specially when one descends!

  † 4. With particularity or detail; not generally or vaguely. Obs.

c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 7526 Now wille I tylle þe sevend part wende,..Þe whilk spekes..Specialy of þe ioyes in heven. Ibid. 7875 Now will I specialy shew yhow mare Of seven maners of blysses þare. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 102 Law canoun, and law civile,..determynis specealy as law and resoun gevis. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) ii. viii, Y⊇ whiche thynge ought to be understande generally & specyally. 1544 tr. Littleton's Tenures 116 Yif he plede y⊇ release specially. 1620 T. Granger Div. Logike 43 Whereby men are most specially specificated and individuated.

  † 5. in specially, especially. Obs. (Cf. inspecially adv. and inespecially adv.)

1503 Hawes Examp. Virt. vii. 89 For other nacyons our lawe ne dredeth But our swerd they do in specyally. 1505 in Mem. Hen. VII (Rolls) 280 In specially he intendithe ayenst the Kynge of Oran.

  6. In, or in regard to, species. rare.

1628 T. Spencer Logick 66 Two men are the same specially, because they haue a reasonable soule.

  7. Comb., as specially-adapted, specially-arranged, etc.

1873 Darwin Orig. Spec. (ed. 6) vii. 190 To break the egg-shell by tapping..with their specially adapted beaks. 1880 Geikie Phys. Geog. iii. 127 A specially arranged kind of thermometer. 1892 Photogr. Ann. II. 610 In newly and specially-erected premises. 1893 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (1907) 139 The specially-prepared plates to which I have referred.

Oxford English Dictionary