different between surely vs shirley

English

Etymology

From Middle English surely; equivalent to sure +? -ly.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /????li/, /????li/
• (US) IPA^(key): /????li/, /????li/, /???li/
• Homophone: Shirley (in some dialects)
• Rhymes: -??(?)li, -??(?)li

Adverb

surely (comparative surelier or more surely, superlative sureliest or most surely)

1. Without fail.

2. Certainly, undoubtedly.
3. With confidence.

Quotations

• 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Luke 1:1

  Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us […].

Synonyms

• certainly, wis (obsolete)

Translations

Anagrams

• Ruleys, Ruyles, Ulerys, Ulreys, syluer

Middle English

Alternative forms

• surly, suerly, surliche, surelich, seurly, suyrly, swrly, seurerly, seuirly, sureli, sewrly, sourely, sewerly, swerly, sewrlye, surelye

Etymology

From sure +? -ly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?u?rli?/, /?siu?rli?/, /?su?rli?/

Adverb

surely (comparative surelier)

1. safely (with safety and security)
2. totally, bindingly, without doubt
3. For sure, with certainty.
4. truely, actually, really
5. totally, entirely, wholly
6. With conviction and belief; assuredly

Descendants

• English: surely
• Scots: shuirly

References

• “seurl?, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-21.