Dictionary

bookly en · ADJ

Etymology

From Middle English *bocli, from Old English bōclīċ (“of or belonging to a book, scientific, biblical, scriptural”); equivalent to book + -ly. Cognate with Danish boglig (“bookish”), Swedish boklig (“bookish, literary”).

Meanings

1. Of or pertaining to books; literary.
   • As you received this and many other bookly treasures, all for the small annual fee of one dollar, […] 1919, Flora Warren Seymour, The Step Ladder: Volumes 1-5, Bookfellows:
   • Publishes books for bookly minded folk and THE STEP LADDER, a monthly journal of bookly ascent. 1926, Henry Louis Mencken, The American mercury: Volume 9:
   • But I shall not spoil for anyone the delight of discovering that most bookly of bookly books. 1920, George Steele Seymour, Adventures with books and autographs:
2. Learned from books; bookish; by-the-book.
   • He has with him his secretary, who speak the Spanish in a very bookly manner. 1932, Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, Improvement era: Volume 36:

Forms