quaintly
UK[ˈkweɪntli]US[ˈkweɪntli]
adv
in an attractively unusual or old-fashioned manner.
Morpheme Breakdown
quaint
ly
quaint
strange but attractive
ly
Etymology
the word 'quaintly' is built upon the adjective 'quaint', which has a journey from a meaning of knowledge to one of peculiar charm. its ultimate source is the latin past participle cognitus, meaning 'known' or 'ascertained'. through old french cointe, it evolved to mean 'clever, skilled, elegant', and later in middle english, it acquired the sense of something curiously elaborate or unfamiliar. by adding the old english adverbial suffix '-ly', which broadly denotes 'in a manner of', the modern adverb 'quaintly' was formed, describing an action done in an appealingly old-fashioned or oddly pleasing way.
Analysis
Structure: quaint + ly
quaint: from middle english queinte, cointe, from old french cointe, from latin cognitus ('known, ascertained'). functions as the adjectival root meaning 'strange but attractive'.
ly: from old english -līce (adverbial suffix). functions as a suffix forming adverbs from adjectives.
Examples
the village was quaintly picturesque, with its thatched cottages and winding lanes.
she smiled quaintly, as if recalling a secret from a bygone era.
the shop was quaintly decorated with antique porcelain and lace doilies.