Forms: 1 fǽrlic, 3 fæ(i)rlich, feorlic(h, 4 -lych, south. veorlich, 3–4 ferlic(h, -lik(e, -lych, 3–5 ferli, (4 feerli, furley, 6 ferrely, 8 ferley), 3 farli(k, 5–9 farley, -ly, 5–6 fear(e)ly, 3 ferly. [OE. fǽrlic sudden, f. fǽr (see FEAR) + -lic, -LY1. Cf. MDu. vêrlich (Du. gevaarlijk), MHG. værlich (Ger. gejährlich), ON. fárligr (Dan., Sw. farlig) dangerous.]
† A. adj. Obs.
1. Sudden, unexpected.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., IV. v. § 1. & him þær becom swa færlic yfel þæt [etc.].
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker 175. Imber, færlic ren.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 61. Gif he þurh ferliche deð saule fro þe lichame deleð.
c. 1275. Long Life, 15, in O. E. Misc., 157. Fox and ferlych is his [deþes] wren[c]h.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3984 (Cott.). Þat ferli flode.
1381. Wyclif, Prov. i. 27. Whan shal falle feerli [repentina] wrecchidnesse.
2. Dreadful, frightful, terrible.
c. 1205. Lay., 25553. Feorlic wes þat sweouen, þene king hit auerde.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 23. Ich iseh hwer ha faht wið þe feorliche feont.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 305. To se it was ferlike.
1460. Political Poems (Rolls), II. 252.
| Fleshly lustes and festes, | |
| Furres of ferly bestes. |
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Wks. (1587), 164.
| A fearly chaunce: (whereon alone to thinke | |
| My hande now quakis, and all my senses fayle). |
3. Strange, wonderful, wondrous, marvellous.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 112. Þet nes non veorlich wunder.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10863 (Cott.). He sal be of ful farli fame.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 253. Wha herkned ever swilk a ferly thing?
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 4274. Þus fell þis ferly thing.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Audi Israel.
| Attend, my people, and give eare, | |
| Of fearely things I will thee tell. |
a. 1650. Eger & Grine, 974, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 384.
| His steed was of a furley kinde, | |
| with raines of silke raught to his hand, | |
| with bells of gold theratt ringand. |
b. Wonderfully great.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12080 (Gött.).
| A Maister was þar selcuth kene, | |
| At iesu was him ferli tene. |
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 5577. Ferly ferd of his folke was in þe fild strangild.
B. sb. Obs. exc. Sc. and dial.
1. Something wonderful, a marvel, wonder. No ferly: no wonder. What ferly: what wonder.
c. 1205. Lay., 5381. Heom þuhte muchel ferlich.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 11 (Gött.). Of ferlijs þat his knightes fell.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 2955. If he þan haf drede, it es na ferly.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3280. Moche folk him folwed þat ferli to bi-hold.
c. 1450. Life of St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 1023. Here a ferly þat befell.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 271. As for farleis richt few thairin he saw.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, Devotional Poems, vi. 45.
| Vhat ferly, freind, thoght thou be fleyd | |
| To go befor so grit a Iudge. |
1646. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. 1878, I. 57.
| To let the world know of some Death | |
| Or novel ffarley. |
c. 1720. Bewick & Graham, xxvi., in Child, Ballads, VII. ccxi. 147/1.
| He lookd between him and the sun, | |
| To see what farleys he coud see; | |
| There he spy’d a man with armour on, | |
| As he came riding over the lee. |
1780. J. Mayne, Siller Gun, I. (1808), 117.
| The ferly is, withouten scorn, | |
| They walk’d sae sicker! |
1785. Burns, To James Smith, 164.
| Nae ferly tho’ ye do despise | |
| The hairum-scairum, ram-stam boys. |
1790. Mrs. Wheeler, Westmld. Dial. (1821), 98. What saw yee else; onny new farly?
1868. G. Macdonald, R. Falconer, I. 12. ‘I ’m no sic ferlie (wonder) that onybody needs be frichtit at me.’
2. Wonder, astonishment.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 456.
| Þo nuste Floriz what to rede, | |
| For þe ferlich þat he hadde. |
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 1084.
| I stod as stylle as dased quayle, | |
| For ferly of þat freuch [printed french] figure. |
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XII. 228. Litel ferly ich haue.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 903. Now haue I ferlie, gif I fauour the ocht.
