moonly

English

Etymology

From Middle English monelich, from Old English mōnlīċ (“lunar”), from Proto-West Germanic *mānalīk (“pertaining to the moon, moon-like”), equivalent to moon +‎ -ly. Cognate with Middle Dutch maenlijc (“moonly, lunar”), German mondlich (“lunar”).

Adjective

moonly (comparative more moonly, superlative most moonly)

1. (now rare) Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Moon; lunar; moonlike.
   • 1839, James Silk Buckingham, John Sterling, Frederick Denison Maurice, The Athenæum:

     Here and there were young moonly faces selling refreshments.

   • 1888, Hiram Erastus Butler, The Esoteric:

     Then, the regenerative process will be changed; the moonly changes will begin to go the reverse way around the zodiac. Ladies will observe that the time of their moonly weakness will come one sign earlier or about two and a half days […]

   • 1983, Vyāsa, Viśvanātha Cakravartin, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati, Srimad Bhāgavatam of Sri Krishnadvaipāyana Vyāsa:

     When the Gopis looked towards the fruit-laden trees lit up with the moonly light, the Gallant-lover remarked, "fruits I alone can reward and this is best congenial atmosphere to beg to to Me.

2. (by extension, now rare) Lunatic. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Coordinate terms

• earthly, starly, sunly

Related terms

• moonish, moonlike, moony

Anagrams

• Molony