Learn English – Is “halfly” a word

word-usage

Google Ngrams shows that it's being used. However, some people disagree on the matter.

Is "halfly" a word? If not, what's an alternative?

Example sentence:

I lied to her. Well, only halfly. I was indeed sick.

Best Answer

OED tells us that it is an adverb with the meaning of "half", but that it is obsolete:

Obs. = half adv.

c1480 (▸a1400) St. Ninian 1418 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) II. 344 Til hyme, þat halfly-slepand lay.
1565 J. Hall Hist. Expost. in tr. Lanfranc Most Excellent Woorke Chirurg. sig. Dddv, Thine arte is halflye wunne.
1622 M. Drayton 2nd Pt. Poly-olbion xxiv. 83 So holy that him there, they halfely deifide.
1674 N. Fairfax Treat. Bulk & Selvedge 167 This is what it is halfly.

The most recent citation is from 1674, but it has happened before that words thought to be obsolete are revived or evolve anew from familiar forms. If singly and on(e)ly are adverbs, it is no stretch to grant halfly the same label.

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