firstly

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English

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Etymology

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Coined before 1475, from Middle English fyrst-lyk, equivalent to first +‎ -ly.[1]

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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firstly (not comparable)

  1. (formal) In the first place; before anything else; first.
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
      Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants. […] Secondly, I continue to base my concepts on intensive study of a limited suite of collections, rather than superficial study of every packet that comes to hand.

Usage notes

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  • Whether it is proper to use "firstly", rather than "first", has often been disputed.
    • Beginning in the early 19th century, some have argued against the use of "firstly", advocating the sequence: "First", "secondly", "thirdly", ....
    • The usage of "firstly" is also deprecated by some modern style guides.[2] The Chicago Manual of Style further recommends that all such -ly forms be avoided, and that list items begin only with "first", "second", and so forth.[3]
    • Other authorities disagree.
      • The American Heritage Dictionary comments:
        It is well established that either first or firstly can be used to begin an enumeration: Our objectives are, first (or firstly), to recover from last year's slump.[4]
      • The Oxford English Dictionary notes the dispute but does not pass judgment: "many writers prefer first, even though closely followed by secondly, thirdly, etc."[5]
    • "Firstly" may appear more formal than "first". "Firstly" is often recommended for the formal enumeration of arguments.[6]

Synonyms

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Translations

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ “firstly, adv. and n.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
  2. ^ International English Usage
  3. ^ Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. edition, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003, →ISBN
  4. ^ “firstly”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
  5. ^ "Firstly" in the Oxford English Dictionary, online edition (subscription required)
  6. ^ E.g. “Writing in a Formal Style for Academic Purposes”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎[1], Waylink Direct, 2008 October 21 (last accessed), archived from the original on 30 April 2008
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