▪ I. ferly, a. and n.
(ˈfɜːlɪ)
Forms: 1 fǽrlic, 3 fæ(i)rlich, feorlic(h, 4 -lych, south. veorlich, 3–4 ferlic(h, -lik(e, -lych, 3–5 ferli, (4 feerli, furley, 6 ferrely, 8 ferley), 3 farli(k, 5–9 farley, -ly, 5–6 fear(e)ly, 3 ferly.
[OE. fǽrlic sudden, f. fǽr (see fear) + lic, -ly1. Cf. MDu. vêrlich (Du. gevaarlijk), MHG. væ̂rlich (Ger. gefährlich), ON. fárligr (Dan., Sw. farlig) dangerous.]
† A. adj. Obs.
1. Sudden, unexpected.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. iv. v. §1, & him þær becom swa færlic yfel þæt [etc]. c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 175 Imber, færlic ren. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 61 Gif he þurh ferliche deð saule fro þe lichame deleð. c 1275 Long Life 15 in O.E. Misc. (1872) 157 Fox and ferlych is his [deþes] wrench. a 1300 Cursor M. 3984 (Cott.) Þat ferli flode. 1382 Wyclif Prov. i. 27 Whan shal falle feerli [repentina] wrecchidnesse. |
2. Dreadful, frightful, terrible.
| c 1205 Lay. 25553 Feorlic wes þat sweouen, þene king hit auerde. a 1225 St. Marher. 23 Ich iseh hwer ha faht wið þe feorliche feont. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 305 To se it was ferlike. 1460 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 252 Furres of ferly bestes. a 1577 Gascoigne Wks. (1587) 164 A fearly chaunce: whereon alone to thinke My hande now quakis. |
3. Strange, wonderful, wondrous, marvellous.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 112 Þet nes non veorlich wunder. a 1300 Cursor M. 10863 (Cott.) He sal be of ful farli fame. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 253 Wha herkned ever swilk a ferly thing? c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4274 Þus fell þis ferly thing. 1549–62 Sternhold & H. Audi Israel, Attend, my people, and give eare, Of fearely things I will thee tell. a 1650 Eger & Grine 974 in Furniv. Percy Folio I. 384 His steed was of a furley kinde. |
b. Wonderfully great.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 12080 (Gött.) A maister was þar selcuth kene, At iesu was him ferli tene. a 1400–50 Alexander 5577 Ferly ferd of his folke was in þe fild strangild. |
B. n. Now chiefly Sc. and dial.
1. Something wonderful, a marvel, wonder. no ferly: no wonder. what ferly: what wonder.
| c 1205 Lay. 5381 Heom þuhte muchel ferlich. a 1300 Cursor. M. 11 (Gött.) Of ferlijs þat his knightes fell. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 2955 If he þan haf drede, it es na ferly. c 1350 Will. Palerne 3280 Moche folk him folwed þat ferli to bi-hold. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1023 Here a ferly þat befell. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 271 As for farleis richt few thairin he saw. a 1605 Montgomerie Devotional Poems vi. 45 Vhat ferly, freind, thoght thou be fleyd To go befor so grit a Iudge. 1646 G. Daniel Poems Wks. 1878 I. 57 To let the world know of some Death Or novel ffarley. c 1720 Bewick & Graham xxvi. in Child Ballads vii. ccxi. 147/1 To see what farleys he coud see. 1780 J. Mayne Siller Gun i. (1808) 117 The ferly is..They walk'd sae sicker! 1785 Burns To J. Smith 164 Nae ferly tho' ye do despise The hairum-scairum, ramstam boys. 1790 Mrs. Wheeler Westmld. Dial. (1821) 98 What saw yee else; onny new farly? 1868 G. Macdonald R. Falconer I. 12 ‘I'm no sic ferlie that onybody needs be frichtit at me.’ 1935 C. Day Lewis Time to Dance 23 Those ferlies you'll not behold Till the guardians of that valley have crossed Your hand with fairy gold. 1962 Davis & Wrenn Eng. & Medieval Studies 225 But for anthropology ‘we’ should have taken the ferlies in medieval romance like trivial excitements in a boy's blood. Ibid. 227 The idea that ferlies are Jungian outcroppings from the collective unconscious. |
2. Wonder, astonishment.
| a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 456 Þo nuste Floriz what to rede For þe ferlich þat he hadde. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1085, I stod as stylle as dased quayle, For ferly of þat freuch [printed french] figure. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xii. 228 Litel ferly ich haue. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 903 Now haue I ferlie, gif I fauour the ocht. |
▪ II. † ˈferly, adv. Obs.
Forms: 1 fǽrl{iacu}ce, ferlice, 2–4 fer-, færliche, (3 fær- ferlike), 3–4 south. veor-, verliche, -lych, 3–6 far-, ferli(e, -ly, 4 feerlich, -li, -ly, (5 fairlie), 3– ferly.
[OE. fǽrl{iacu}ce: see ferly a. and -ly2.]
1. Suddenly, unexpectedly.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke ix. 39, & he færlice hrymð. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 89 On þisse deie..com ferliche muchel swei of heofne. c 1200 Ormin 665 Ȝiff þatt itt ohht færlike seþ Þe wlite off ennglekinde. 1297 R. Glouc. (1724) 299 Somme deyde verlych as hii vp ryȝt stode. 1340 Ayenb. 130 Ase uayr weder went in-to rene and uerliche makeþ his blench. 1382 Wyclif Josh. x. 9 Josue felle on hem feerlich. c 1440 Generydes 5815 Eche vppon other ferly on they sett. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 176 In feir fairlie he foundis..Quhair the Coilȝear bad, sa braithlie he beird. |
2. Dreadfully, frightfully, terribly.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 960 Al bi-rolled wyth þe rayn, rostted & brenned, & ferly flayed þat folk þat in þose fees lenged. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 18 He felt him heuy & ferly seke. |
3. Wonderfully, marvellously, extraordinarily.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 148 A ueorlich god word þet te holi Job seide. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2799 Ic sal werken ferlike strong. a 1300 Cursor M. 4263 (Cott.) Ioseph was farli fair in face. c 1350 Will. Palerne 3238 Þe horse..gan fare wiþ his fet & ferliche neiȝede. c 1450 Henryson Mor. Fab. 52 Flowres ferly sweete. c 1460 Towneley Myst. (Surtees) 49, I wille you telle Tythynges farly goode. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) I. 42 Thocht tha war ȝoung, ȝit tha wer farlie fair. |
▪ III. ferly, v. Obs. exc. Sc.
(ˈfɜːlɪ)
Forms: 4 ferli, 4–8 ferlie, (9 ferley), 4–6 farley, -lie, -lye, 5– ferly.
[f. ferly a.]
1. intr. To wonder.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 323 Thai..Farlyit, and ȝarnyt hym to se. a 1400–50 Alexander 4761 Quen he had ferlied his fill. c 1500 Lancelot 3117 That euery wight ferleit of his deid. 1513 Douglas æneis x. Prol. 86 Frend ferly not. 1597 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 846 Nane ferlies mair than fulis. 1725 Ramsay Gent. Sheph. ii. iv, Peggy. They'll wonder what can make us stay. Patie. And let them ferly. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 122 They'll..tell what new taxation's comin, An' ferlie at the folk in Lon'on. c 1826 Hogg Meg o' Marley 20 Wks. 1840 V. 97 He..sits down but to ferly. |
b. quasi-trans. with sentence as obj.
| c 1400 Melayne 1474 Thay ferlyde why he fewterde his spere. 1500–20 Dunbar Fenȝeit Freir 63 All fowill ferleit quhat he sowld be. 1801 R. Gill Tint Quey in Chambers Pop. Hum. Scot. Poems (1862) 178 Ilk ane ferlied nae a wee, What luckless gate the chiel could be. |
2. trans. To amaze, astonish. Only impers. and in pass.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 17361 (Gött.) Ful ferlid all þan war þai. c 1400 Melayne 552 Me ferlys of thy fure. a 1400–50 Alexander 4991 Þe wale kyng..Was in þe figure of hire fourme noȝt ferlied a littell. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2405 Na man be ferlyd, Bede biddes. |