Forms: 1 Northumb. árlíce, ǽrlíce, 2–4 erliche, 3 earliche, 4 erlike, erli, erely, eerly, arliche, orly, Sc. airlie, 3–4 arli, 4–5 erly, 5 ȝerlyche, yerely, north. 4–5 areli, -ly, 4–6 Sc. ar-, ayr-, airly, 5 Sc. yarly, 6 yerle, 6–7 earely, 6– early. [OE. árlíce (= ON. árliga) f. *ár (= ON. ár) positive deg. of ǽr ERE + -líce -LY2. The ME. forms with o descend directly from this; the OE. var. ǽrlíce (with umlaut or assimilation to ǽr) gave rise to arli, erli (whence the mod. form).]
I. Near the beginning of a period of time.
1. With reference to the time of day.
a. In the first part of the morning.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., John viii. 2. And ærlice [c. 975 Rushw. arlice] æftersona cuom in temple.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 13. Erliche rise, and gernliche seche chireche.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 20. Siggeð … prime iþe winter erliche.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2817. Bot arli [1340 Fairf. erly], ar men well moght see, Þe angls badd loth do him flee.
c. 1320. Seuyn Sages (W.), 203. The child … ros arliche amorewen.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 32. He suld fynd a palmere orly at morn.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 554. For to riss airly euirilk day.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 460. He wakide eerly to his puple.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 785. In Asterre day ȝerlyche in þe mornyng.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., IX. i. 65. Rycht airly in til þe dawing.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. viii. 23. At morrow full ayrly Eneas haistis vp, and mycht nocht ly.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge (1848), 165. This Judith … rose up yerle.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxviii[xix]. 147. Early in ye mornynge do I crie vnto the.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 188. What misaduenture is so earely vp?
a. 1665. J. Goodwin, Filled w. Spirit (1867), 113. Early up and never the nearer.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 49, ¶ 2. Young Fellows … who rise early for no other purpose but to publish their Laziness.
1832. Tennyson, May Queen. Call me early, mother dear.
1884. J. Hawthorne, in Harper’s Mag., Feb., 433/2. You must get up early to get the better of a man who has been a parson.
b. Relatively near to the beginning of the day (or night); at an hour not far advanced.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., xxii. § 4. Laborers … late commyng unto their werke, erly departing therefro.
1832. G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 458. We resumed our journey early.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, IV. xviii. Earlier the night came on.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., cvii. A bitter day that early sank Behind a purple-frosty bank Of vapour.
c. Early and late: at all hours, continuously, incessantly.
c. 1330. Assump. Virg. (BM. MS.), 302. Erliche & late to gladen þee.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 392. What lyf ȝe lede, erly & late.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxii. 124. Be subgette to þi souereyne Arely and late.
1590. Nashe, Pasquil’s Apol., I. C iij b. His conuersation among them … was … all manner of seasons, earely, and late.
[1620. Quarles, Feast for Wormes, vii. G 1 a.
| For Prayr’s the key that opens heauen gate, | |
| And findes admittance, whether earl’ or late.] |
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xx. I was up early and late.
2. Relatively near to the beginning of the year.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 421. 113. An Early-Comming-Fruit.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 191. Early-set Anemonies.
1795. Burke, Th. on Scarcity, Wks. 1815, VII. 406. All the early sown grain recovered itself.
Mod. Some of the species flower very early.
3. With reference to a lifetime.
a. In childhood or youth. b. At a time relatively near to the beginning of a lifetime or career. (Sometimes contextually = too early, prematurely.)
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 116. Hire fader hefde iset hire earliche to lare.
c. 1340. Cursor M. (Edinb. MS.), 23046. Þat … arlik to god þaim tok.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl. O. T., XII. iv. Wks. (1625), 1052. Samvel began his acquaintance with God early, and continued it long.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 265/104.
| Early begin the stubborn Child to break; | |
| For his soft Neck, a supple Collar make | |
| Of bending Osiers. |
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), II. xii. 200. She lost her father early.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 253, note. Where the seeds of virtue are early planted.
1835. Willis, Pencillings, I. xiv. 173. The early-learnt history of the family.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 107. Voltaire perceived very early in life that to be needy was to be dependent.
4. At or near the beginning of a historical epoch, of the history of the nation, the world, a science, etc.; far back in date, anciently.
a. 1340. Cursor M., 9001 (Fairfax MS.). Allas arly [v.r. arli, erly] þis gile be-gan. Þat adam þat was formast man … was begiled þorou a wife.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Hydriot., ii. 7. That the Romans themselves were early in no small numbers, Seventy Thousand with their associats slain by Boadicea, affords a sure account.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), IV. 312. The Americans early found out its useful qualities.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 317. As early as the reign of Elizabeth there had been loud complaints that whole forests were cut down for the purpose of feeding the furnaces.
5. generally. In the initial part of any division of time, any continuous action, etc. Also, at a time anterior with respect to something else; in good time, without delay, before it is too late.
1655. Milton, Sonn. ‘Avenge, O Lord,’ 14. That from these may grow A hundredfold, who … Early may fly the Babylonian woe.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 545/112. Early they stall their Flocks and Herds.
1701. W. Wotton, Hist. Rome, Alex. i. 457. This Abuse was early redrest.
1807. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), IV. 71. He very early saw that the fidelity of the western country was not to be shaken.
1857. Buckle, Civiliz., I. vii. 456. This great and salutary reaction began early in the present century.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., I. vi. 41. A Parliament … may … be convened earlier for dispatch of business.
1872. Raymond, Mines, 200. Early in December the weather becomes too cold and stormy.
II. 6. Referring to serial order. Near the beginning of the series.
Mod. His name appears very early in the list.
