Straungely

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In an odd, unfamiliar or unexpected way that seems out of the ordinary
2. Behaving or appearing in a peculiar fashion that catches the eye as unusual
3. Done or occurring in a manner that is curious, bizarre or hard to explain

Etymology: "Straungely" is a Middle English adverb, formed from the adjective "straunge" (strange) plus the adverbial ending "-ly". Strange itself came into English from Old French "estrange," meaning foreign or unfamiliar, and it traces back to Latin "extraneus," meaning outside or external. So at its root the word is about what lies beyond one's own household or country, and only later came to mean odd or peculiar. The spelling with "au" in "straunge" reflects Anglo-Norman and Middle English habits, when French-influenced scribes often wrote "aun" or "au" for a vowel sound that later shortened. The form "straungely" belongs to the medieval period, and it was eventually replaced in standard English by the modern spelling "strangely." Medieval writers used it in the sense of acting in an unfamiliar or unusual manner, in keeping with the sense of the adjective.