zanily, adv.

zanily
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zanily_adv%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2024

# zanilyadverb

## Factsheet

### What does the adverb zanily mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the adverb zanily. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How is the adverb zanily pronounced?

#### British English

/ˈzeɪnᵻli/
ZAY-nuh-lee

#### U.S. English

/ˈzeɪnᵻli/
ZAY-nuh-lee

### Where does the adverb zanily come from?

Earliest known use

1930s

The earliest known use of the adverb zanily is in the 1930s.

OED's earliest evidence for zanily is from 1936, in Edmonton (Alberta) Bulletin.

zanily is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: zany adj., ‑ly suffix2.

### Nearby entries

1. zamioid, adj. 1860–
2. zamorin, n. 1582–
3. zampino, n. 1881–
4. zampogna, n. 1740–
5. zampone, n. 1860–
6. zamzawed, adj. 1743–
7. Zamzummim, n. 1530–
8. Zande, n. 1873–
9. zander, n. 1854–
10. zanella, n. 1876–
11. zanily, adv.1936–
12. zaniness, n. 1933–
13. Zante, n. 1615–
14. Zantedeschia, n. 1836–
15. ZANU, n. 1963–
16. zany, n. & adj. 1582–
17. zany, v. 1602–1894
18. zanyish, adj. 1843–
19. zanyism, n. 1823–
20. zanyship, n. 1766–1839
21. Zanzibari, n. & adj. 1882–

## Etymology

### Summary

Formed within English, by derivation.
< zany adj. + ‑ly suffix2.

## Meaning & use

1. 1936–
   In a zany manner; (now) esp. in an imaginatively unconventional or idiosyncratic manner. Cf. zany adj.
   1. 1936

      > The master of ceremonies and the tooter was zanily screwy.

      Edmonton (Alberta) Bulletin 19 March 8/1
   2. 1958

      > In Central Park sea lions barked zanily at the sky.

      S. Ellin, Eighth Circle (1959) i. i. 11
   3. 1966

      > I've..emptied the crucial and precious capsules out of my window, zanily.

      M. Laurence, Jest of God ix. 170
   4. 1984

      > The play is a staple of the repertory and amateur theatre diet, and while it may not inspire to the zanily surreal heights of See How They Run or Madame Louise, Dighton is certainly a name worth conjuring with.

      Financial Times 25 July 13/6
   5. 2021

      > Dr. Seuss'..zanily illustrated books like ‘Cat in the Hat’ put a generation of children to bed.

      Arizona Daily Star 17 January a14/1
   1. mirthfully 1508–
      In a mirthful manner; with mirth, joyously. Also: in an amusing manner; humorously.
   2. comically 1581–
      In a comic or comical manner.
   3. drolly 1662–
      In a droll manner; funnily; quaintly, oddly.
   4. funnily 1749–
      In an amusing or humorous manner; comically.
   5. farcically a1779–
      In a farcical manner.
   6. ticklingly 1898–
      So as to tickle.
   7. pricelessly 1934–
   8. zanily 1936–
      In a zany manner; (now) esp. in an imaginatively unconventional or idiosyncratic manner. Cf. zany, adj.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˈzeɪnᵻli/
ZAY-nuh-lee

### U.S. English

/ˈzeɪnᵻli/
ZAY-nuh-lee

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

Originally published as part of the entry for zany, n. & adj.

zanily, adv. was revised in March 2024.

zanily, adv. was last modified in June 2024.