Friendly

a. (sb.) and adv. [OE. fréondlic adj., -líce adv.: see FRIEND sb. and -LY¹, ².] A. adj.

  1.  Having the qualities or disposition of a friend, disposed to act as a friend, kind.

c. 900.  trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xiii. (1891), 440. Oðþe ðurh ða freondlican ænglas oðþe ða feondas.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, II. 106 (155).

1402.  Hoccleve, Lett. of Cupid, 302.

1477.  Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 8 b. The enuyous man is frendely to him that is present, & in his absence is his ennemy, and so sheweth him his frende by worde, and ennemy by dede.

1584.  Burleigh in Fuller, The Church-History of Britain, ix. v. 159.

1766.  Goldsm., Vic. W., vi. I knew him to be friendly as far as he was able.

1871.  G. Meredith, H. Richmond, xiii. No one could be friendlier.

  2.  Characteristic of or befitting a friend or friends; manifesting friendship.

c. 1385.  Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 251. Hyde Jonathas al thyn frendely manere.

1525.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. ccxli. 312. The grayhounde … made to hym the same frendly countinaunce and chere as he was wonte to do to the kyng.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. vi. 47.

1683.  Pennsylv. Archives, I. 72. And first, I congratulate w^th a friendly Joy.

1709.  Steele & Swift, Tatler, No. 67, 10 Sept., ¶ 12. To tell People of their Faults in a friendly and private Manner.

1785.  B. Rush, Lett., 8 April, in T. J. Pettigrew, Life Lettsom (1817), II. 425–5. I was sorry to perceive by your last friendly letter that you have failed in procuring a loan for my friend Mr. W.

1868.  Miss Braddon, Run to Earth, I. i. 9. Jernam acknowledged their courtesy with a friendly nod.

  b.  Friendly lead, among the poorer classes in London, an entertainment given by friends for the benefit of a person in distress, etc.

1886.  Besant, Childr. Gideon, II. xxxii. The great table dented and battered with a thousand hammerings of pewter pots at friendly leads and the emphasizings of a thousand toasts at lodge meetings.

1895.  Daily Tel., 26 Sept., 3. He went to a ‘friendly lead’ for the benefit of a man who had just come out of the hospital.

  3.  Not hostile or at variance; on amicable terms. Const. to, with.

1595.  Shaks., John, II. i. 481.

1613.  Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 695. The Inhabitants whereof being gouerned after the manner of a Common-wealth, haue shewed themselues friendly to the Portugals, and helped them in their warres against Angola.

1671.  Narborough, Jrnl., in Acc. Sev. Late Voy., I. (1711), 135. The People were friendly and without Arms as the former, but likewise very thievish.

1798.  Nelson, 22 July, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), III. 47. The King’s flag is insulted at every Friendly Port we look at.

1849.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 399. The wits and the Puritans had never been on friendly terms.

1860.  Ann. Reg., 21/1. Sowing suspicion and distrust, calculated to bring about a total rupture with a neighbouring and friendly country.

  b.  Not proceeding from or attended with hostility; amicable. Of an action at Law: Brought between parties not really at variance, in order to obtain a decision on some point.

  c.  Of a match at football, etc.: Played simply for the honor of the thing and not in competition for a cup, etc. Usually ellipt. (quasi-sb.).

1894.  Athletic News, 5 Nov. 4. The Sunderland and Woolwich Arsenal match was a friendly.

1895.  Westm. Gaz., 7 Nov. 3/2. When an inter-club match is called a ‘friendly,’ the inference as to what a league match means is fairly easy.

  4.  Favorably disposed, well-wishing; inclined to approve, help, or support.

1535.  Coverdale, Ps. xxiv. [xxv.] 8. O how frendly & rightuous is the Lorde.

1601.  Shaks., Jul. C., V. i. 94.

1826.  Foster, in Life & Corr. (1846), II. 79. Mrs. F —— kingly sent me a letter she had received from Mrs. Hill, which contained a most friendly reference to me.

1878.  J. C. Morison, Gibbon, 72. Gibbon’s political career is the side of his history from which a friendly biographer would most readily turn away.

  5.  Of things, influences, etc.: Disposed or likely to be helpful or serviceable; kindly, propitious, favorable, salutary. Const. to, † unto.

c. 1391.  Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 4. He is in dignite & conforted with frendly aspectys of planetes.

1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., V. iii. 163.

1659.  Hammond, On Ps. cvii. 23–30. They find the storm presently turned into the perfectest calm, and by the friendliest gales are safely wafted to that port which they designed to sail to.

1683.  Tryon, Way to Health, 192. The more simple and mean sorts of Food and Drink, as Bread, Cheese, Butter, Gruels, various Grains and Fruits, which are both mild and friendly.

1821.  Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. Mockery End. As words written in lemon come out upon exposure to a friendly warmth.

1850.  Prescott, Peru, II. 341. ‘Jesu!’ exclaimed the dying man, and tracing a cross with his finger on the bloody floor, he bent down his head to kiss it, when a stroke, more friendly than the rest, put an end to his existence.

  b.  Suitable to one’s comfort, convenient.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 33.

1713.  Addison, Cato, I. iv.

1885.  J. Payn, Talk of Town, II. 196. A friendly pillar brought Dennis himself to anchorage.

  † 6.  Of things: ‘Disposed to union’ (J.); not jarring or conflicting. Obs.

1717.  Pope, Ep. to Jervas, 15.

1793.  Smeaton, Edystone L., § 272. Contributing (like the beating of mortar) to bring all the parts into their most friendly state of contact, and in consequence, to their firmest state of union.

  7.  Of or pertaining to the Society of Friends.

1886.  American, XII. 26 June, 155/2. The title [‘Cut’] is derived from the non-combatant tendencies of the hero, whose family are Friendly people, and who is cut by his comrades because he will not, as by their code, resent offences as they think him bound to do.

  8.  Friendly Society. Originally, the name of a particular fire-insurance company. In later use, one of numerous associations, the members of which pay fixed contributions to insure pecuniary help in sickness or old age, and provision for their families in the event of death.

1703.  Lond. Gaz., No. 3910/4. All Persons who have any Demands upon the Undertakers of the Friendly Society, by reason of the late Fire … may … Receive the money, due on any Policy of Insurance. Ibid. (1720), No. 5909/3. The Friendly Society (or Sheaf of Arrows) give Notice, That they assure Losses from Fire.

1819.  Gentl. Mag., Dec., 530/1. He placed the property of Friendly Societies under the protection of the laws.

1863.  Fawcett, Pol. Econ., II. ix. (1876), 240. A Trades’-Union performs the ordinary functions of a Friendly Society.

  9.  Comb., as friendly-fiendly, -seeming adjs.

1709.  E. Holdsworth, Muscipula (1749), 51.

1877.  Tennyson, Harold, III. i. With that friendly-fiendly smile of his.

  B.  sb. (See also A. 3 c.) A ‘friendly’ native, one of a friendly tribe. Usually pl.

1870.  Pall Mall G., 19 April. They were friendlies returning home. Ibid. (1885), 17 March, 8/1. Our Arab ‘friendlies’ declare that [etc.].

  c.  adv. In a friendly manner or spirit, like a friend, with friendship.

Beowulf, 1027. Ne ȝefræȝn ic freondlicor feower madmas.

c. 1205.  Lay., 14842.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 15293 (Cott.).

1362.  Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 170.

c. 1440.  York Myst., xxxiii. 76. He fest me to his frenschippe, so frendly he fared.

c. 1475.  Rauf Coilȝear, 281. For to tak his leif, than spak he freindly.

1549.  Coverdale, etc., Erasm. Par. Jas. i. 27. Euen so muste we agayne bee bothe mercyfull and frendely liberall towardes our neighbour, and that not vpon any hope of mutuall good turne to be requited to vs agayne, but of a mere and a pure vpright loue, loking for the rewarde of our wel doing at the handes of none other but of God.

1608.  Rowlands, Humors Looking Glasse, 9.

1705.  Hearne, Collect., 21 Nov. W^ch [he] was friendly told of.

1772–84.  Cook, Voy. (1790), V. 1672. Some of the men marry three wives, who in general live friendly together, and are never jealous.

1807.  P. Gass, Jrnl., 370. The natives used us friendly, and with kindness; gave us corn and beans, with other articles.

1869.  Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), III. xii. 157. He tended him friendly in his castle for three days.