warily
/ˈwɛərili/
adverb
Origin
Old English
wær — cautious, watchful, aware
Overview
Meaning Now
- in a cautious or careful manner, especially because of potential danger or suspicion
Literal older meaning
in a manner characterized by wariness (watchfulness)
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
waryly
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Germanic root *war-, which is deeply connected to concepts of vigilance and protection. It is a cognate of the word 'aware' and is distantly related to the root that produced 'ward' (as in bodyguard or guard).
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*waraz
“cautious, aware”
- Old English
wær
“prudent, wary”
- Middle English
waryly
“cautiously”
- Modern English
warily
“in a cautious manner”
Connections
Word parts
wary
root
cautious
-ly
suffix
forming an adverb
Related across languages
German
gewahr
aware
Dutch
gewaar
aware
Old Norse
varr
wary, cautious
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Related to warily
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.