Clenly

Part of speech: adverb, adjective

Definitions

1. Archaically, in a manner that is clean, neat, and free from dirt or disorder
2. In an old-fashioned way, showing cleanliness, tidiness, or purity in how something is done
3. Describing an action performed in a tidy, spotless, or orderly manner, as in older English usage

Etymology: "Clenly" is an archaic English adverb meaning "neatly, cleanly, or skilfully," and the word is simply "clean" with the adverbial ending "-ly" attached. "Clean" itself comes from Old English "clǣne," meaning bright, pure or free from dirt, a sense it has kept for more than a thousand years. The adverb formed by adding "-ly" to such adjectives was once common, so "clenly" was an ordinary formation in Middle and early Modern English. Its history is also marked by a spelling shift. The "e" in "clenly" reflects the older pronunciation and spelling of "clean," which lost the vowel's length and was later spelled with "ea" in the modern form. Later writers gradually replaced "clenly" with "cleanly," which became the standard adverb, while "clenly" survived mainly in older literature and dialect.