Sely

Alternative forms

• celi, cely, seli, silly, seely

Origin

from Middle English sely, from Old English sǣliġ ("blessed, fortunate"), (also gesǣliġ ("happy, prosperous, blessed, fortunate")), from Proto-Germanic *sēlīgaz ("happy"), equivalent to seel + -y. Cognate with West Frisian sillich, Dutch zalig ("blessed"), German selig ("blessed, overjoyed").

Full definition of sely

Adjective

1. Obsolete form of silly
2. (archaic) spiritually favored, blessed, holy, virtuous, righteous
• Sely is þe bareyn & þe vndefouled. — Wycliffite Bible (early version)
3. (archaic) worthy, noble, fine, excellent;
• the sely man — the goodman, husband
4. (archaic) fortunate, lucky, prosperous
• Now at erste shul ye here So sely an avisyon That..Scipion..Ne mette such a drem. — Chaucer,
5. (archaic) happy, pleasant
6. (archaic) wealthy (figurative)
7. (archaic) innocent, harmless; good
8. (archaic) simple, guileless; foolish, gullible; doting; ignorant
• for þis ende þise flatiryng gloosars ... cacchen awey þe goodis of þise celi widowis. — The Lantern of Light (Wycliffite tract), 1425
9. (archaic) weak, helpless, defenseless, hapless
10. (archaic) wretched, unfortunate, miserable, pitiable
11. (archaic) humble, lowly, poor
12. (archaic) worthless, trifling, insignificant