Obs. Forms: 1 wis(s)lice, 2–4 wisliche, 4–5 wisly, wissely, (3 wysslych, Orm. wissliȝ, -like, 4 wislike, -lich, -li, wissly, wysly, 5 wisselich, wysslie, wischli). [OE. wislíce, f. wis(s adj. (see WIS sb.) + -líce, -LY2.] Certainly, surely; assuredly; verily.
1000. Ags. Ps. (Thorpe), lviii[i]. 13. Hi wisslice witon. Ibid., xcix. 2 [c. 3]. Witað wislice, þæt [etc.].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 63. Þe luste nulleð þesne red, wisliche he scal wurðen ded.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 189. Þe holi man … on oðer stede wisluker þerof specð.
c. 1200. Ormin, 928. He falleþþ wissliȝ forr þatt gillt i Godess wraþþe & wræche.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 844. Many wondurful wonus wisli we knowen.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 74. Men wenden wisty that he sholde dye. Ibid., Frankl. T., 61. She to hym ful wisly gan to swere That neuere sholde ther be defaute in here.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3567. Vnto þat worthy he went wisly anon.
b. esp. with as (alse, also) or so in asseverations.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 167. Vre lafdi Seinte Marie, alse wisliche alse hie þis dai was houen in to heuene, bere ure arende to ure louerd ihesu crist.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 9673. As wysly as he become a chylde.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 632. Now also wisly god me blesse.
14[?]. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 79/104. For as wischli as euer y cum too blisse, My will is goode.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 63. Als wisly God me sawe.
