Cleverly
/ˈklɛv.ər.li/noun
In a clever manner; skillfully or ingeniously.
Did you know?The modern English word traces back to a dialectal form meaning “able to clutch or grasp,” so its earliest power was physical dexterity before it became mental sharpness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*glebh-
“to seize, grasp, or stick”
Old English
OE
clifer
“claw, hand, or grasping limb”
Middle English
ME
clever
“dexterous, handy, skillful”
15th–16th Century
English
cleverly
“in a skillful or adroit manner”
Modern English
English
cleverly
“in an intelligent, ingenious, or resourceful way”