Specially

adv. Forms: 3–4 specialliche, 4– specially, 5 -alli, 6 -allie, -allye; 4 specialyche, -ich(e, -ali, 4–5 -aly, 6 -alie; 4 specyaly, 5 specealy, 5–6 specyally (5 spes-); 6 spetiallye, 7 -ally. [f. SPECIAL a. + -LY², after L. speciāliter or OF. (e)speciaument, (e)specialement (mod.F. spécialement). Cf. ESPECIALLY adv.]

  1.  In a special manner; in a degree or to an extent beyond what is usual or customary; particularly.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 10220. Þe king of alimayne sende specialliche inou To king Ion þat he wiþdrowe him of is wou.

13[?].  Seuyn Sages (W.), 3547. On God in heuyn ay thinkes he, And specially he praied him till To help him.

1340.  Ayenb., 7. Þise þri hestes diȝteþ ous to gode specialliche.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, IV. 467. The kyng … sperit syne full specialy, Giff ony man couth tell tithand [etc.].

c. 1450.  Mirk’s Festial, 12. Ȝet childyr dydden hym worschyp spesyaly byfor any oþer seynt.

1486.  Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1905), 18. The said preest …. to .. be alwey charged specially & deuoutly to pray daily …. for the soule of the said Iohn Nasyng.

1512.  Act 4 Hen. VIII., c. 20. Preamble, Your said Besecher … was specially requyred to arrest and take the said John.

1548–9.  (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, 127 b. Specially we beseche thee to saue and defende thy seruaunt, Edwarde our Kyng.

1590.  Sir J. Smith, Disc. Weapons, Ded. 9 b. They haue vsed diuers waies…, but chieflie two, speciallie to be noted.

1617.  Moryson, Itin., II. 50. Not so much in secrecy and in sparingnesse of speech … as more specially in Court factions.

1711.  in Nairne Peerage Evid. (1874), 135. Lykeas by the said first contract … it is specially provided and declared.

1816.  A. Knox, Rem. (1834), I. 49. The House of Lords and the Established Church are specially united to each other.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., II. xvi. 313. Measurements … which bear more specially upon the subject.

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 404. There appears to be a need of some bold man who specially honours plainness of speech.

  b.  Qualifying adjs. and advs.

1422.  trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 207. A Specialy behouabill Place of Prayynge is a pryue Place.

1530.  Palsgr., 842. Specially wel,… fort bien.

1535.  Coverdale, Song Sol. ii. 4. He … loueth me specially well.

1685.  Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Matt. iii. 2. Tho repentance be always a duty, its specially necessary to … our assurance of pardon.

1847.  Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 659. That alliance of a specially religious nature.

1867.  D. G. Mitchell, Rural Stud., 108. As a hint for better ones, I think it specially good.

1871.  Freeman, Hist. Ess., Ser. I. viii. 243. The military results … were not specially glorious.

  2.  Of special purpose; expressly.

c. 1315.  Shoreham, I. 1219. God ches folk specialliche … Offyce for to fonge.

c. 1340.  Hampole, Pr. Consc., 935. Alle þe world so wyde and brade, Our Lord speciali for man made.

c. 1410.  Hoccleve, Mother of God, 115. The fadir god gan edifie (By his sone oonly-geten specially) To him an hows.

1842.  Loudon, Suburban Hort., 502. To procure seed, Mr. Mills invariably raises plants specially for that purpose.

1879.  Cassell’s Techn. Educ., II. 179/2. It is better to make them specially for each patient.

  b.  By special effort or application.

1882.  Freeman, Amer. Lect., 124. The Latin tongue … lives on … as a book-language specially learned.

  3.  Above or beyond, more than, other things or persons; in a supreme degree; pre-eminently.

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 3603. Þan may þe saules in purgatory, By way of grace specialy, Be delivered of pyn.

1387–8.  T. Usk, Test. Love, III. ix. (Skeat), l. 15. But specialliche, predestinacion of goodnesse alone is sayd by these grete clerkes.

c. 1400.  Love, Bonavent. Mirr. (1908), 160. It is ful perilous … to … haue a name of holynesse, as hauen specially thise recluses.

a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Edw. V., 9 b. In two places specially, the one at the elbow of the citie,… & the other in the very bowels.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., I. i. 121. To labour and effect one thing specially.

  b.  Freq. and specially, used to introduce a clause following upon a previous statement.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 59. To alle crystyn men,… And speciali, alle be name, Þe felaushcpe of Symprynghame.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 101. Wherefore we alle scholde be meke, and specialyche prestes.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxiv. 154. Þai can speke wele of þe Bible and specially of þe buke of Genesis.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 16. God … preserve him in alle manner thing. And specially … In enmyes handis that he nevir ffalle.

1481.  Caxton, Godfrey, xlvii. 88. But oure peple, and specially the Frenssmen, myght not byleue that this Ioye … myght come of ony trayson.

1535.  Coverdale, Isaiah lx. 9. The Iles also shal gather them vnto me, and specially the shippes of y^e see.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. v. 35. To the great pleasure … of vs…, and specially of the faire dames.

1617.  Moryson, Itin., IV. 420. Toscany, and more spetially the Citty and State of Florence therein contayned, is noted to yeald men of stronge memorye.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxv. 216. In the Writings of Divines, and specially in Sermons.

1807.  A. Knox, Rem. (1834), I. 71. For the attention I have ever received from them, and specially for the invaluable regard of individuals, I trust I am cordially grateful.

  c.  Similarly without and.

1483.  Caxton, Cato, B vj. Thou oughtest not to mocke … none other, specyally whan thy wyll is to haue companye with hem.

1538.  Starkey, England, I. ii. 30. That thyng wych one callyth lyght knolege … the other callyth ignorance, specyally when hyt ys ouercome wyth the contrary persuasyon.

1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., i. (1586), 14 b. That the sicke may be … looked vnto, specially yf their diseases be contagious.

1625.  Bacon, Ess., Wisd. for Man’s Self (Arb.), 183. And be so true to thy Selfe, as thou be not false to Others; Specially to thy King, and Country.

1807.  G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. III. ix. 451. Toscheoderach, an officer, or jurisdiction, not unlike to an baillierie, specially, in the isles, and highlands.

1878.  Browning, La Saisiaz, 11. Child’s play call it—specially when one descends!

  † 4.  With particularity or detail; not generally or vaguely. Obs.

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 7526. Now wille I tylle þe sevend part wende,… Þe whilk spekes … Specialy of þe ioyes in heven. Ibid., 7875. Now will I specialy shew yhow mure Of seven maners of blysses þare.

1456.  Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 102. Law canoun, and law civile,… determynis specealy as law and resoun gevis.

1502.  Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W., 1506), II. viii. Y^e whiche thynge ought to be understande generally & specyally.

1544.  trans. Littleton’s Tenures, 116. Yif he plede y^e release specially.

1620.  T. Granger, Div. Logike, 43. Whereby men are most specially specificated and individuated.

  † 5.  In specially, especially. Obs. (Cf. INSPECIALLY adv. and INESPECIALLY adv.)

1503.  Hawes, Examp. Virt., vii. 89. For other nacyons our lawe ne dredeth But our swerd they do in specyally.

1505.  in Mem. Hen. VII. (Rolls), 280. In specially he intendithe ayenst the Kynge of Oran.

  6.  In, or in regard to, species. rare.

1628.  T. Spencer, Logick, 66. Two men are the same specially, because they haue a reasonable soule.

  7.  Comb., as specially adapted, -arranged, etc.

1873.  Darwin, Orig. Spec. (ed. 6), vii. 190. To break the egg-shell by tapping … with their specially adapted beaks.

1880.  Geikie, Phys. Geog., iii. 127. A specially arranged kind of thermometer.

1892.  Photogr. Ann., II. 610. In newly and specially-erected premises.

1893.  J. A. Hodges, Elem. Photogr. (1907), 139. The specially-prepared plates to which I have referred.