Etymology

cleanly

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Today it means: Being habitually clean, practising good hygiene. Full definition →

Middle English clenly ← Old English clǣnlīċ
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cleanly · adjective1

  1. Old English · inherited fromclǣnlīċ“cleanly, pure, excellent”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromclenly
  3. English todaycleanly

From Middle English clenly, clenliche, clanly, from Old English clǣnlīċ (“cleanly, pure, excellent”), equivalent to clean + -ly.

cleanly · adverb2

  1. Old English · inherited fromclǣnlīċe“cleanly”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromclenly
  3. English todaycleanly

From Middle English clenly, clenli, clenliche, from Old English clǣnlīċe (“cleanly”), equivalent to clean + -ly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.