From Middle English needely, neodliche, from Old English nēodlīċe (“eagerly, earnestly, carefully, zealously, diligently, sedulously; greatly”); equivalent to need (“desire”) + -ly. Cognate with Old Saxon niudlīko (“zealously, carefully”), German niedlich (“desirable, appealing, lovely, cute”).
From Middle English needely, nedelich, from Old English *nīedlīċe (“necessarily”), from nīedlīc (“necessary”); equivalent to need (“necessity, need”) + -ly. Merged with Etymology 1 above. Cognate with Middle Dutch nodelike, Middle Low German nōtliken, Middle High German nōtliche.
Meanings
(archaic) Necessarily; of necessity.
Or if sower woe delights in fellowship,
And needly will be rankt with other griefes c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁-
Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr
Proto-Indo-European *-trom
Proto-Indo-European *-tlom
Proto-Indo-European *(s)néh₁tlom
Proto-Germanic *nēþlą
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Germanic *-ō
Proto-Germanic *nēþlō
Proto-West Germanic *nāþlu
Old English nǣdl
Middle English nedle
English needle
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English needly
From needle + -y.
Meanings
(informal) Like a needle or needles.
a needly horn
needly beard 1869, R[ichard] D[oddridge] Blackmore, chapter XXIII, in Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Sampson Low, Son, & Marston, […], →OCLC: