adv. Forms: 4 contynuelli, -eli, -elliche, -aly, contynuli, -tenualliche, -ally, -tinuely, 4–5 -tynuely, -ally, -tinuelly, 4–6 -tynuelly, 5– continually. [f. CONTINUAL + -LY2. The Fr. continuelement was used in 13th c.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 142. Loke hwam heo liȝe, and hu, cuntinuelement.]
1. In a continual way; always, incessantly, constantly, perpetually, all the time; i.e., either: Without any intermission, at every moment, continuously (in time); or less strictly: With frequent repetition, very frequently. (Cf. CONTINUAL 1.)
c. 1305. E. E. P. (1862), 77. Of art he radde six ȝer contynuelliche ynouȝ.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xii. 2. Bot i am in anguys … by day, that is continuelly whils my lif lastis.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 99. He reigned þerynne continualliche þritty ȝere.
1483. Caxton, Cato, 4. Of an Abbot that contynuelly by thre dayes to fore his dethe helde his eyen open.
1546. Primer Hen. VII. Too the Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry.
1602. Marston, Ant. & Mel., V. Wks. 1856, I. 60. Oh, to have a husband with a mouth continually smoaking.
1678. R. R[ussell], Geber, III. II. I. iii. 147. Stir it continually with your Fingers.
1771. Smollett, Humph. Cl., 23 April. The carriages which are continually making their exit or their entrance.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2.), I. 366. Why do people delight in continually conversing with you?
1880. Geikie, Phys. Geog., II. ix. 58. The sun is continually radiating heat from his glowing mass.
† b. Without cessation or end; ever, for ever.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Sam. vii. 16. Thi troon shalbe stedefast contynuli.
a. 1485. J. Rows, Roll, No. 5 (1859). And soo hys heyrys bere countinuali aftyr hym.
1540. Act 32 Hen. VIII., c. 45. Which court … continually and for euer shalbe a court of record.
1547–8. Ordre of Commvn., 15. That wee maye continually [later edd. evermore] dwell in hym.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. 227. There also you shall serve him continually.
c. At every recurring time, regularly, on every occasion. (Cf. CONTINUAL 1 b.)
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 115. Thees Counceillours may continually, at such Howres as schall be assigned to them, comewne and deliber.
1568. Bible (Bishops’), Heb. x. 1. Those sacrifices whiche they offer yeere by yeere continually.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxviii. § 1. What service the other priests did continually in the holy place.
1821. Keats, Isabel, xxxii. On [autumn] eves The breath of Winter comes … And the sick west continually bereaves Of some gold tinge.
† 2. Continuously, in continuous succession, successively. Obs. rare.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 4744. Whether any other days sal falle Bytwen þa days, or þai sal alle Continuely falle, day aftir day … he can noght say.
† b. Math. Continually proportional: = in CONTINUAL or CONTINUED proportion. Obs.
1571. Digges, Pantom., IV. xii. Z b. If 7 lines be continually proportional.
1806. Hutton, Course Math., I. 314. Quantities are said to be Continually Proportional, or in Continued Proportion, when the ratio is the same between every two adjacent terms.
† 3. Continuously (in space), uninterruptedly. Obs. rare.
1660. Barrow, Euclid, I. Postul. 2. To produce a right line finite, strait forth continually.
1756. R. Simson, Euclid, I. Axiom 12. These straight lines being continually produced, shall at length meet upon that side on which are the angles which are less than two right angles. [So in modern edd.]
