Fondly
/ˈfɒndli/noun
In an affectionate, loving, or tender manner.
Did you know?Fondly comes from a word family that once meant “foolish” or “feeling foolish,” showing how love and softness can grow out of ideas of weakness and lack of judgment.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
gefond
“foolish, silly, weak-minded”
Middle English
ME
fond
“foolish; later, affectionate or tender”
16th Century
English
fondly
“in a foolish manner; later, affectionately”
Modern English
English
fondly
“with affection or tenderness”