_Gradely._--Holloway[3] derives _gradely_ from the Anglo-Saxon _Grade_, a
step, order, and defines its meaning, "decently." He, however, fixes its
paternity in the neighbouring county of York.
In Collier's edition of _Tim Bobbin_ it is spelt _greadly_, and means
"well, right, handsomely."
"I connaw tell the _greadly_, boh I think its to tell fok by."--p. 42.
"So I seete on restut meh, on drank meh pint o ele; boh as I'r naw
_greadly_ sleekt, I cawd for another," &c.--p. 45.
"For if sitch things must be done _greadly_ on os teh aught to bee,"
&c.--p. 59.
Mr. Halliwell[4] defined it, "decently, orderly, moderately," and gives a
recent illustration of its use in a letter addressed to Lord John Russell,
and distributed in the Manchester Free Trade Procession. It is dated from
Bury, and the writer says to his lordship,--
"Dunnot be fyert, mon, but rapt eawt wi awt uts reef, un us Berry
foke'll elp yo as ard as we kon. Wayn helps Robdin, un wayn elp yo, if
yoan set obeawt yur work _gradely_."
_Gradely._--I think this word is very nearly confined to Lancashire. It is
used both as an adjective and adverb. As an adjective, it expresses only a
moderate degree of approbation or satisfaction; as an adverb, its general
force is much greater. Thus, used adjectively in such phrases as "a gradely
man," "a gradely crop," &c., it is synonymous with "decent." In answer to
the question, "How d'ye do?" it means, "Pretty well," "Tolerable, thank
you."
Adverbially it is (1.) sometimes used in sense closely akin to that of the
adjective. Thus in "Behave yourself gradely," it means "properly,
decently." But (2.) most frequently it is precisely equivalent to "very;"
as in the expressions "A gradely fine day," "a gradely good man"--which
last is a term of praise by no means applicable to the mere gradely man,
or, as such a one is most commonly described, a "gradely sort of man."
Though one might have preferred a Saxon origin for it, yet in default of
such it seems most natural to connect it with the Latin _gradus_,
especially as the word _grade_, from which it is immediately formed, has a
handy English look about it, that would soon naturalise it amongst us.
_Gradely_ {335} then would mean "orderly, regular, according to degree."
The difference in intensity of meaning between the adjective and the adverb
seems analogous to that between the adjectives proper, _regular_, &c., and
the same words when used in the vulgar way as adverbs.