Comely
/ˈkʌm.li/noun
Pleasing in appearance or attractive.
Did you know?Comely descends from Old English *cymlic*, built from *cuman* (“to come”), so its oldest sense is basically “fit to come near” or “pleasantly presentable,” not glamorous in the modern sense.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷem-
“to come, go”
Old English
OE
cuman
“to come, arrive”
Old English
OE
cymlic
“comely, handsome, pleasant”
Middle English
ME
comely
“handsome, graceful, attractive”
Modern English
English
comely
“pleasantly attractive in appearance”