a. and adv. Obs. Forms: 3–5 al only, 3–6 allonly, 3–7 all only, 4 al onli, al oonly, alonlich, 4–5 aloonly, 4–7 allonelye, 5–6 alonly, -lie, 5–7 alonely, 6 alonelie, al(l)onlye, all onelie, 6–7 all onely, 9 alonely. [phraseol. comb. of ALL adv. ‘wholly, quite, altogether’ + ONLY; hence, orig., emphatic form of only. Not in use bef. end of 13th c., OE. using the simple ánlíc, (only). Obs. in 17th c., though used by Lamb. Aphetized in north. dial. to LONELY.]
1. adv. restricting vb., adj., adv. or predication: Only, solely, exclusively, merely.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 6826. Ȝyve … nat allonely largely, But wyþ loue.
c. 1360. Wyclif, De Eccl., Pref. 32. Not al oonly in defaut of cornys but in beestis & oþer good.
1366. Maundev., Voy., i. 6. Alle only summe Contrees.
1484. Caxton, Chyualry, 27. Nat al only contrarye to the ordre and offyce of Chyualrye but also [etc.].
a. 1564. Becon, New Year’s Gift, Wks. 1843, 342. Alonely walk before me, and be perfect.
1577. H. Bull, trans. Luther’s Comm. Ps. Grad., 233. Our life resteth wholly and alonely in the Remission of Sins.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, XVI. xlvii. 289. All only let me goe with thee.
2. adv. Solitarily, by himself.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froissart, II. cxx. 344. And so rode but alonely with his page.
1608. Commun. Sick. In time of Plague … upon speciall request of the diseased, the Minister may alonely communicate with him.
3. adv. (or adj.) restricting the subj. or obj. of a predication: Only, solely; (such a person or thing) and no other; without any one (or any thing) else. a. separate from sb.
1366. Maundev., i. 8. He hathe lost alle, but Grece, and that Lond he holt alle only.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxvii. 355. In the house alle only of Jonathas he founde fire and watir.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., III. (1520), 24/1. Beloved of God and man, and not alonely with good men, but evyll men also.
1541. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 227/2. The lambe hath alonely dyed for vs; The lambe hath alonely shed his bloud for vs; The lambe hath alonly redeemed vs.
a. 1617. Hieron, Wks., I. 13. The grand guide, whose directions are alonely to bee looked vnto.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. viii. (1865), 290. The sole and single eye of distemper alonely fixed upon itself.
b. following the sb.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Chron. xxiii. 6. Thei aloonly commen in, that ben halowed.
c. 1450. Merlin, 49. Merlin, whiche is the wysest man that is in all the worlde, saf god al only.
1483. Caxton, Cato, B viij b. For many to gyder seen more clerely thenne doth one allonelye.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clxxix. 177. London alonely excepted.
1564. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (ed. Palfr.), ix. (1595), 4. The truth alonely among all things is priviledged.
1625. Gonsalvio’s Sp. Inquis., 197. Faith, wherewith alonely he encourageth and emboldneth man before the face of God.
c. preceding the sb.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 778. Al only þyself so stout and styf.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 49. [He] asked no thing with here, but alonly here bodie, and here clothing.
1494. Fabyan, VI. cxlvii. 733. Promysynge to hym not allonely victory, but also the lond.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1291/1. And this alonelie word was heard: Here comes the pearle of grace.
1634. Malory’s Arthur (1816), II. 454. All the lords were right glad … save all only sir Gawaine.
4. adj. attrib. a. Sole, only; beside which there is no other.
1494. Fabyan, VII. 438. Isabell the allonly doughter & chylde of Phylyppe le Beawe.
1604. Suppl. Masse-Priests, § 1. The Catholike Romaine faith, the all onely meane of saving our soules.
1612. Wither, Pr. Hen. Obseq., in Juven. (1633), 303. The alonely comfort of his own.
b. Unparalleled in degree, unequalled, unique.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 341. Your High and alonely Bishop, and the Bishop of all Bishops. Ibid. (1571), Exp. 2 Thess. ii. 42. This is the alonely mysterie aboue all other mysteries.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 316/1. Know yee therefore alonelie princesse.
c. Exclusive, singular. rare.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 357. The speciall and alonely office of Loue, of things common to make things peculiar.
d. Solitary, lonely. rare.
a. 1622. H. Ainsworth, Annot. Psalms, xxii. 21. My alonely soule, which is one alone, solitary, and desolate.
