groundly

groundly

English

WOTD – 3 November 2021

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɡɹaʊndli/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ground‧ly

Etymology 1

From Middle English groundli, growndly, grundlich (“firm, solid; deep, profound; fundamental, radical; of a person: learned, well-grounded”) [and other forms],[1] from ground (“surface of the earth on which one stands; earth, soil; burial site; field of battle, battleground; dry land; flat land; piece of land; region; country; the earth; lowest part, base, bottom; foundation; platform; basis for a doctrine, opinion, etc.; fundamental principle; source; background (of a painting, etc.)”)[2] (from Old English grund (“ground; bottom, foundation; abyss”), from Proto-Germanic *grunduz (“ground; foundation”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrem- (“to resound; to grumble, roar, thunder”)) + -li (suffix forming adjectives).[3] The English word is analysable as ground +‎ -ly (suffix forming adjectives), and is cognate with German gründlich (“careful, thorough; deep, profound”), Swedish grundlig (“thorough; in depth; profound; radical”).[4]

Adjective

groundly (comparative more groundly, superlative most groundly)

1. (archaic, rare) Firmly grounded; solid; of education: complete, thorough, well-grounded.
   • 1516, Robert Fabyan, “[Pars Sexta.] Capitulum C.lx.iii.”, in Henry Ellis, editor, The New Chronicles of England and France, […], London: […] [George Woodfall] for F. C. and J. Rivington; […], published 1811, OCLC 879723253, page 156:

     [A]fter. iiii. yeres was passyd, the sayd two bretherne [Lothair I and Louis the German], withoute defyaunce or groundly cause of warre, assigned or assemblyd a great hoost, such lyke before this daye had not ben seen, and entryd the lymyttys of kynge Charlys [Charles the Bald].

   • 1524 February 3 (Gregorian calendar)​, Thomas Wolsey, “LXXIX. Wosley to [Richard] Sampson, &c.”, in State Papers Published under the Authority of Her Majesty’s Commission, volume VI (King Henry the Eighth. Part V.), London: […] George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, […], published 1849, OCLC 614600781, page 242:

     [I]t was therfore thought unto the Kings Highnes and his Counsail expedient, bifore the depeche of this post, to have a mature and groundly consultacion, by deliberate advice, for the more perfite instruccion to be geven unto you in al suche thinges as may occurre and chaunce touching the said commyn matiers; […]

   • 1869 June, “Henrich Niclaes—The Family of Love”, in J. Ph. Berjeau, editor, The Book-worm: An Illustrated Literary & Bibliographical Review, number VI (New Series), London: At the Office, […], OCLC 265247075, page 90:

     10^b–20^a is occupied by No. 3: A groundly Inſtruction, wherin the difference betwixt God the Father, and his Son the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is declared, according to the ſpirituall and heavenly underſtanding.

   • 2001, Arleen Pabón, “Por La Encendida Calle Antillana: African Impact on Puerto Rican Domestic Architecture”, in Places of Cultural Memory: African Reflections on the American Landscape: Conference Proceedings, May 9–12, 2001, Atlanta, Georgia, [Washington, D.C.]: National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, OCLC 1183430493, page 141, columns 1–2:

     [W]e construct binaries, such as: male/female, Black/White, being/not being, presence/absence, among others as [Jacques] Derrida has masterfully explained, these binary opposition favor the "groundly" term, the one that supposedly articulates the fundamentals. Hence, woman is everything a man is not.

Alternative forms

• groundley (obsolete)
• groundlie (obsolete)

Translations

firmly grounded — see firm,‎ solid

of education: complete, thorough — see well-grounded

Etymology 2

From Middle English groundli, groundly, grundliche (“strongly, vehemently, violently; completely, fully, thoroughly; basically, fundamentally”) [and other forms],[5] from ground (see etymology 1) + -li (suffix forming adverbs).[6] The English word is analysable as ground +‎ -ly (suffix forming adverbs).[7]

Adverb

groundly (comparative more groundly, superlative most groundly) (archaic, rare)

1. In a firmly grounded manner; solidly.

   Synonym: groundedly

   • 1562, John Heywood, “A Sixt Hundred of Epigrammes. Newly Inuented and Made by John Heywood.”, in The Proverbs and Epigrams of John Heywood (A.D. 1562). […], Manchester: […] [Charles Simms and Co.] for the Spenser Society, published 1867, OCLC 903166398, paragraph 29, page 205:

     Walke groundly, / Talke profoundly, / Drinke roundly, / Sleape ſoundly.

   • 1605, Athanasius, “A Treatise Made by Athanasius the Great, Concerning the Use and Vertue of the Psalmes”, in [anonymous], transl., The Whole Book of Psalmes, Collected into English Meeter […], London: […] Companie of the Stationers, OCLC 27831586, paragraph 73:

     If thou wilt ſing on good Friday, thou haſt a commendation of the Pſalme, 93. for then was the houſe of Gods Church builded and groundly founded, though the enemies went about to hinder it: […]

2. To the very ground or bottom; deeply, profoundly; completely, thoroughly.
   • [15th century, [anonymous], Frederick J[ames] Furnivall and Walter G. Stone, editors, The Tale of Beryn, with a Prologue of the Merry Adventure of the Pardoner with a Tapster at Canterbury. […] Part I. […] (Chaucer Society, Supplementary Canterbury Tales; 1), London: For the Chaucer Society by N[icholas] Trübner & Co., […], published 1876, OCLC 1013416072, lines 4001–4002, page 120:

     […] Isope cast his chere to Beryn so groundly, / That atte last there was no man with Isope so pryvy: […]]

   • 1521, John Strype, chapter II, in Ecclesiastical Memorials; Relating Chiefly to Religion, and Its Reformation, under the Reigns of King Henry VIII. King Edward VI. and Queen Mary the First: […], volume I (Containing the Reign of King Henry the Eighth, […]), London: […] [J. Barfield] for Samuel Bagster, […], published 1816, OCLC 858275816, book I, page 44:

     Sir, when I groundly considered your provident forecast, as well for the conservation of your navy from damage, as the princely zeale that yee bear to preserve your subjects, and their goods, […] it is unto me one of the singular consolations and comforts that ever I had; […]

   • [1536], Thomas Starkey, “To the Reders”, in [An Exhortation to the People, Instructynge Theym to Unitie and Obedience], London: […] Thomae Bertheleti […], OCLC 1049091039, page 2:

     [W]ho ſo euer weyeth mans actes groundly, and of his lyfe the hole proces, he ſhal fynde moſte manifeſtly, and by reaſone ſhall be conſtrayned playnly to confeſſe, that this highe prouydence is not onely declared by ſuch dedes and and actes of man, as appere to the worlde to be good and vertuous, but alſo moche more by other, whiche ſeme peſtilent and pernicious, and to all vertue contrarye.

   • a. 1569 (date written)​, Roger Ascham, “[The Second Booke Teachyng the Ready Way to the Latin Tong]”, in Margaret Ascham, editor, The Scholemaster: Or Plaine and Perfite Way of Teaching Children, to Vnderstand, Write, and Speake, the Latin Tong, […], London: […] John Daye, […], published 1570, OCLC 228713506, folio 44, verso:

     [A] man growndlie learned all readie, may take moch proffet him ſelfe in vſing, by Epitome, to draw other mens workes for his owne memorie ſake, into ſhorter rowme, […]

   • c. 1603 (date written), Iohn Marston, The Malcontent, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for William Aspley, […], published 1604, OCLC 1224733829, Act II, scene v:

     Why we are both but dead, the Duke hates vs, / And thoſe whome Princes doe once groundly hate, / Let them prouide to dye; as ſure as fate, / Preuention is the hart of pollicie.

   • 1604, [Christopher St. Germain], “Of the First Ground of the Law of England”, in [anonymous], transl., The Dialogue in English, betweene a Doctor of Diuinity, and a Student in the Lawes of England. […], London: […] [Adam Islip for] Thomas Wight, OCLC 1203210306, folio 10, verso:

     And it is to be noted that all the deriuing of Reaſon in the Law of England proceedeth of the firſt principals of the law, or of ſome thing that is deriued of them: and therefore no man may right wiſely iudge ne groundly reaſon in the lawes of England, if he be ignorant in the firſt principles, […]

   • 1631, John Weever, “Ancient Funerall Monuments within the Diocesse of London”, in Ancient Funerall Monuments within the United Monarchie of Great Britaine, Ireland, and the Ilands Adiacent, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Harper; and are to be sold […] by Laurence Sadler […], OCLC 1167032409, page 658:

     Remember all yee that by this roune be to paſſ, / And groundly revolue in yowr remembrance, / Both the world is frayle and britle as glaſſ, / The end is death of euery many chance: […]

     Part of the epitaph on the tomb of Edward Mackwilliams, his son Henry, and his daughter-in-law Anne Spelman in the parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Thomas Becket, Stambourne, Essex.

   • 1798, Christopher Stanger, A Justification of the Right of Every Well Educated Physician […] Residing within the Jurisdiction of the College of Physicians of London, to be Admitted a Fellow of that Corporation […], London: [s.n.], OCLC 504381015, page 308:

     [T]his corporation […] muſt admit none but what are groundly learned and deeply ſtudied in phyſic; but that does not give all that are groundly learned and deeply ſtudied in phyſic, a right to obtrude themſelves into the government of the profeſſion; […]

   • 1980, Y. I. Yermakov, “Anchored Complexes in Fundamental Catalytic Research”, in T. Seiyama and K. Tanabe, editors, New Horizons in Catalysis: Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Catalysis, Tokyo, 30 June – 4 July, 1980 (Studies in Surface Sciences and Catalysis; 7A), part A, Tokyo: Kodansha; Amsterdam: Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, published 1981, →ISBN, pages 68–69:

     In benzene hydrogenation and ethane hydrogenolysis the change of activity is distinct in the region of small metal particles, but too slight to discuss its reasons groundly.

   • 2010, Laura Giordano; Francesca Toni, “Knowledge Representation and Non-monotonic Reasoning”, in Agostino Dovier and Enrico Pontelli, editors, A 25-year Perspective on Logic Programming: Achievements of the Italian Association for Logic Programming, GULP (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Sublibrary SL2 (Programming and Software Engineering); LNCS 6125), Berlin; Heidelberg: Springer, →ISBN, ISSN 0302-9743, page 89:

     When the above operational semantics is extended to the first order case, suitable conditions have to be introduced to guarantee that when a negative goal is selected all its free variables are groundly instantiated. This is needed to guarantee the soundness and completeness of the proof procedure.

   • 2013, Frédéric Pollaud-Dulian, “The Dragon and the White Whale: Three Steps Test and Fair Use”, in Toshiko Takenaka, editor, Intellectual Property in Common Law and Civil Law, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Northampton, Mass.: Edward Elgar Publishing, →ISBN, part III (Copyright), page 175:

     In the author's opinion, the essential issue is to decide what has to be groundly predominating in intellectual property regulation: authors' interests, creation, intellectual property or collective interest, consumers' demands, economics?

Translations

in a firmly grounded manner — see solidly

to the very ground or bottom — see deeply,‎ profoundly

completely, thoroughly — see completely,‎ thoroughly

References

1. “grǒundlī, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
2. “grǒund, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
3. “-lī, suf.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
4. “† groundly, adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
5. “grǒundlī, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
6. “-lī, suf.(2)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
7. “† groundly, adv.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020.