barely
The origin and history of barely.
Etymology
From Old English bærlīċe, built from "bare" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" — originally meaning something closer to "openly" before it shifted to mean "just barely."
The origin and history of barely.
From Old English bærlīċe, built from "bare" plus the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" — originally meaning something closer to "openly" before it shifted to mean "just barely."