Wordwyrt

costly

/ˈkɒstli/KAHST-lee
/ˈkɑstli/KAHST-lee

Meaningof great cost

Common meaning: expensive

Other meanings: causing loss or harm

Journey through time

  1. Latinconstaresource
  2. Old Frenchcoster‘couster’source
  3. Middle Englishcostensource
  4. Englishcost‘to have a price’
  5. Englishformed in English from costcostly‘expensive’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from cost + -ly.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), COST, p.136 · scan

Source words

  • constare Latin · source word “to stand firm, to cost”

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