homely

Meaning

Adjective

• Characteristic of, belonging to, or befitting a home; domestic, cozy.
• Lacking in beauty or elegance, plain in appearance, physically unattractive.
• On intimate or friendly terms with (someone); familiar; at home (with a person); intimate.
• Domestic; tame.
• Personal; private.
• Friendly; kind; gracious; cordial.
• Conservative and family-oriented.
• Simple; plain; familiar; unelaborate; unadorned.

Origin

• From Middle English homly, hoomly, hamely, from Old English *hāmlīc ("of the home, domestic"), from Proto-West Germanic *haimalīk ("of or characteristic of home"), equivalent to home + -ly. Cognate with Scots hamely ("familiar, personal, private"), West Frisian heimelik, Dutch heimelijk ("secret, secretive, clandestine"), German heimlich ("secret, secretive, clandestine, undercover"), Danish hemmelig ("secret"), Swedish hemlig ("secret, concealed, privy, covert"), Faroese heimligur ("homelike, homey"), Icelandic heimlegur ("homely; worldly").