Chummily

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that displays warmth and friendliness indicative of a close relationship
2. Done in a way that shows close companionship and easy friendliness
3. Expressing a relaxed and sociable attitude as between good friends

Etymology: Chummily is a plain formation: it is the adverb of "chummy," which itself comes from "chum," and it takes the ordinary English adverbial ending "-ly." That ending has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from an Old English form "-līċe," which in turn goes back to Proto-Germanic "*-līkô," a suffix meaning "having the form or appearance of," so that the adverb literally describes doing something in the manner of a given quality. The base "chum" is the more interesting part. It likely arose as a shortening of "chamber-fellow," meaning someone sharing a room, and the "-y" added to make "chummy" carries the same sense of friendly familiarity found in other English words of that shape. The adjective and adverb therefore trace a friendship that began with people who slept under the same roof.

Synonyms: friendly, affably, sociably

Antonyms: coldly, unfriendly, aloofly