cleverly
Meaning
in an intelligent and skillful way
in a way that shows quick thinking or ingenuity, sometimes in a tricky or cunning manner
Structure
Usage
she cleverly avoided answering the difficult question.
the device was cleverly designed to fit into small spaces.
he cleverly invested the money and doubled his savings.
Etymology
The adverb 'cleverly' is formed by appending the Old English adverbial suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'clever'. The core adjective 'clever' entered Middle English with meanings related to physical dexterity or skillfulness, with its origins debated among scholars; potential sources include the Old Norse 'klǫgr' (wise, skillful) or an Old English compound. Over time, its semantic field shifted from primarily manual agility to denote quickness of mind and intellectual ingenuity. The addition of the productive '-ly' suffix, a standard grammaticalization in English, straightforwardly transforms the adjective into an adverb describing the manner of an action performed with intelligence or shrewdness.
Analysis
clever (origin: middle english, of uncertain origin, possibly from old norse or old english) + ly (origin: old english -līce, from adjective suffix -līc)