Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: 1 cúþlíce, 3 cuþliȝ, cuðliche, kiþþeliȝ, 4 couþly, couþely, cuthli, cowthly, kouthly, 9 couthly, coothly. [OE. cúþlíce, f. cúþ COUTH: see -LY2.]
† 1. Certainly, manifestly; clearly. Obs.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., II. xii. 128. Ic cuþlice wat [scio certissime].
a. 1000. Cynewulf, Juliana, 411 (Gr.). Acyrred cuþlice from Cristes æ.
1388. Wyclif, 1 Sam., Prol. 3. The wordis of daies, the which more kouthly may be clepid the Cronycle of Goddis stories.
2. Familiarly, kindly, as a familiar friend. Obs. exc. Sc.
c. 900. Bæda’s Hist., V. vii. Ðæt he ðe cuþlicor from ðam halʓum ʓe-earnode in heofonum onfongen beon.
c. 1000. Andreas, 322 (Gr.). Ðæt he eaþmedum ellorfusne oncnawe cuþlice.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2204. He toc to frofrenn hire anann Cuþliȝ bi name.
c. 1205. Lay., 719. Þu heom clepe to and cuðliche wið heom spec.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17696 (Cott.). Cuthli for him can [v.r. gon] i knele.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 937. Þe lorde … couþly hym knowez & callez hym his nome.
1840. Whistlebinkie (Sc. Songs) (1890), I. 271. I’m coothly come your luve to win.
¶ 3. With the knowledge or skill of familiarity: the opposite of uncouthly. (A pseudo-archaism.)
1816. W. Taylor, in Monthly Mag., XLI. 330. He only passes for the parish star, Who couthly strains the bow, or thrusts the steel.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., I. vi. By the blood! this is couthly and marvellously blazoned.
