friendly
UK[ˈfrendli]US[ˈfrendli]
adj
behaving in a pleasant, kind way towards someone
adj
not harmful to a particular thing; compatible or easy to use
adj
(of a game or match) not part of a serious competition
Morpheme Breakdown
friend
ly
friend
ly
Etymology
the word "friendly" has its origins in old english, directly formed from the noun "friend" combined with the adjectival suffix "-ly". the old english noun "frēond" evolved from the proto-germanic "frijōndz", which itself derives from the proto-indo-european root "prī-", meaning "to love". the suffix "-ly", from old english "-līc", means "body, form, like" and is related to the modern english word "like". thus, the literal construction "friend-like" evolved to describe the abstract qualities of kindness, affection, and amicability associated with a friend, extending later to describe non-hostile interactions between people, nations, or systems.
Analysis
Structure: friend + ly
friend (from old english 'frēond', meaning 'loving one, friend', functioning as the core noun root) + ly (from old english '-līc', meaning 'having the qualities of', functioning as an adjective-forming suffix)
Examples
she has a very friendly and welcoming manner.
this software uses a friendly interface suitable for beginners.
the two teams played a friendly to prepare for the official season.