1. It seems to have no connexion with the Latin noun _gradus_, Angl.
_grade_, step.
2. Its first syllable, _grade_, is both a substantive and an adjective; and
_gradely_ itself both adjective and adverb, as _weakly_, _sickly_, _godly_,
&c.
3. It is not confined to Lancashire or to England, but appears in Scotland
as _graith_ (ready), _graith_ (furniture); whence _graithly_ (readily), to
_graith_, _grathe_, or _graid_ (prepare), &c. See Jamieson's _Sc. Dict._
and _Supplement_.
4. It is in fact the Anglo-Saxon _gerad_, which is both substantive and
adjective. As a substantive it means condition, arrangement, plan, reason,
&c. As an adjective, it means prudent, well-prepared, expert, exact, &c.
The _ge_ (Gothic _ga_) is merely the intensive prefix; the root being _rad_
or _rath_. The form in _ly_ (adjective or adverb), without the prefix _g_,
appears in the Anglo-Saxon _raedlic_, prudent, expert; _raedlice_,
expertly. This interesting root, which appears as _re_, _ra_, _red_, _rad_,
_rath_, &c.; sometimes by transposition, as _er_, _ar_, _erd_, &c. (perhaps
also as _reg_, _rag_, _erg_, _arc_, &c.), seems to represent the nobler
qualities of man: thought, reason, counsel, speech, deliberate action; and
perhaps, also, government.
Thus in the Semitic family of languages we have the radicals _rââ_ (saw,
foresaw, counselled); _râdhâ_ (helped, ruled); _râthâd_ (arranged); _râto_
(directed, instructed); and others, with their numerous derivatives.
The Indo-European family gives us, in Sanscrit, _râ_ or _râe_ (ponder,
experience); _rât_ (speak); _râdh_ (accomplish); _râj_ (excel); _râgh_
(attain, reach); and others, with derivatives. In Greek, _rheô_ (speak),
transp. _erô_ or _werô_ (whence _verbum_, _wort_, _word_); _rherô_ or
_rhedô_ (do), transp. _erdô_, also _ergô_ (whence _werke_, _work_); _archô_
(rule), and others, with derivatives. In Latin, _reor_ (think), whence
_ratus_ and _ratio_ (reason); _res_ (thing, action); _rego_ (rule), with
derivatives (_rex_, _regula_, _rectus_, &c.). In Celtic (Welsh), _rhe_
(active); _rheswm_ (reason); _rhaith_ (judgment, right); _rhi_ (prince);
_rhag_ (van, before). In Sclavonic, _rada_, _rade_ (counsel); _redian_ (to
direct), &c.
In the Teutonic dialects (Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, German, Dutch, Swedish,
Danish, Icelandic, Scotch, and English) the forms of this root are very
numerous. Thus we have, in Anglo-Saxon, _rad_, _raed_ (counsel);
_raedlich_, _grad_, as above, whence _geradien_ (to prepare), and other
words. In German, _rede_ (discourse); _rath_ (counsel); _reden_ (to speak);
_regel_ (a rule); _recht_ (right); _gerecht_ (just); _gerade_ (exactly),
&c.; _bereiten_ (prepare), &c. In English, _ready_, _read_, _rule_,
_right_, _riddle_, _reason_, _rather_, to which we must add _gradely_. In
Scotch, _red_, _rede_, _rade_, _rath_, &c., with the words mentioned above;
of which _graith_ (furniture) is the German _geräth_. Your readers will
derive much information on this class of words by reference to Jamieson,
under _red_, _rede_, _rath_, _graith_, &c.