Etymology

poorly

P3O1O1R1L1Y4

Today it means: In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort. Full definition →

Middle English poorly
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poorly · adverb1

  1. Middle English · inherited frompoorly
  2. English todaypoorly

From Middle English poorly, pouerly, poreliche, poureliche, pouerliche, equivalent to poor + -ly.

poorly · adjective2

  1. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*perh₃-?
  3. Proto-Indo-European*peh₂w(o)p(o)rh₃o-
  4. Proto-Italic*paw(o)paro-?
  5. Latindīvesinflu.
  6. Latinpauper
  7. Old Frenchpovre
  8. Middle Englishpovre
  9. Englishpoor
  10. Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
  11. Proto-Germanic*līką
  12. English todaypoorly

From poor + -ly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.