† alonely, a. and adv. Obs.
(əˈləʊnlɪ)
Forms: 3–5 al only, 3–6 allonly, 3–7 all only, 4 al onli, al oonly, alonlich, 4–5 aloonly, 4–7 allonelye, 5–6 alonly, -lie, 5–7 alonely, 6 alonelie, al(l)onlye, all onelie, 6–7 all onely, 9 alonely.
[phraseol. comb. of all adv. ‘wholly, quite, altogether’ + only; hence, orig., emphatic form of only. Not in use bef. end of 13th c., OE. using the simple ánl{iacu}c, (only). Obs. in 17th c., though used by Lamb. Aphetized in north. dial. to lonely.]
1. adv. restricting vb., adj., adv. or predication: Only, solely, exclusively, merely.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 6826 Ȝyve..nat allonely largely, But wyþ loue. c 1360 Wyclif De Eccl. Pref. 32 Not al oonly in defaut of cornys but in beestis & oþer good. 1366 Mandeville Voy. i. 6 Alle only summe Contrees. 1484 Caxton Chyualry 27 Nat al only contrarye to the ordre and offyce of Chyualrye but also, etc. a 1564 Becon New Year's Gift Wks. 1843, 342 Alonely walk before me, and be perfect. 1577 H. Bull tr. Luther's Comm. Ps. Grad. 233 Our life resteth wholly and alonely in the Remission of Sins. 1600 Fairfax Tasso xvi. xlvii. 289 All only let me goe with thee. |
2. adv. Solitarily, by himself.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froissart II. cxx. 344 And so rode but alonely with his page. 1608 Commun. Sick, In time of Plague..upon speciall request of the diseased, the Minister may alonely communicate with him. |
3. adv. (or adj.) restricting the subj. or obj. of a predication: Only, solely; (such a person or thing) and no other; without any one (or any thing) else. a. separate from n.
| 1366 Mandeville i. 8 He hathe lost alle, but Grece, and that Lond he holt alle only. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xxvii. 355 In the house alle only of Jonathas he founde fire and watir. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. iii. (1520) 24/1 Beloved of God and man, and not alonely with good men, but evyll men also. 1541 Barnes Wks. (1573) 227/2 The lambe hath alonely dyed for vs{revsc} The lambe hath alonely shed his bloud for vs{revsc} The lambe hath alonly redeemed vs. a 1617 Hieron Wks. I. 13 The grand guide, whose directions are alonely to bee looked vnto. 1823 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. viii. (1865) 290 The sole and single eye of distemper alonely fixed upon itself. |
b. following the n.
| 1382 Wyclif 2 Chron. xxiii. 6 Thei aloonly commen in, that ben halowed. c 1450 Merlin 49 Merlin, whiche is the wysest man that is in all the worlde, saf god al only. 1483 Caxton Cato B viij b, For many to gyder seen more clerely thenne doth one allonelye. 1494 Fabyan vi. clxxix. 177 London alonely excepted. 1564 Bauldwin Mor. Philos. (ed. Palfr.) ix. (1595) 4 The truth alonely among all things is priviledged. 1625 Gonsalvio's Sp. Inquis. 197 Faith, wherewith alonely he encourageth and emboldneth man before the face of God. |
c. preceding the n.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 778 Al only þyself so stout and styf. c 1440 Gesta Rom. 49 [He] asked no thing with here, but alonly here bodie, and here clothing. 1494 Fabyan vi. cxlvii. 133 Promysynge to hym not allonely victory, but also the lond. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1291/1 And this alonelie word was heard: Here comes the pearle of grace. 1634 Malory's Arthur (1816) II. 454 All the lords were right glad..save all only sir Gawaine. |
4. adj. attrib. a. Sole, only; beside which there is no other.
| 1494 Fabyan vii. 438 Isabell the allonly doughter & chylde of Phylyppe le Beawe. 1604 Suppl. Masse-Priests §1 The Catholike Romaine faith, the all onely meane of saving our soules. 1612 Wither Pr. Hen. Obseq. in Juven. (1633) 303 The alonely comfort of his own. |
b. Unparalleled in degree, unequalled, unique.
| 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 341 Your High and alonely Bishop, and the Bishop of all Bishops. 1571 ― Exp. 2 Thess. ii. 42 This is the alonely mysterie aboue all other mysteries. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 316/1 Know yee therefore alonelie princesse. |
c. Exclusive, singular. rare.
| 1567 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 357 The speciall and alonely office of Loue, of things common to make things peculiar. |
d. Solitary, lonely. rare.
| a 1622 H. Ainsworth Annot. Psalms xxii. 21 My alonely soule, which is one alone, solitary, and desolate. |