Etymograph

English

merely

Merely comes from Middle English mereli.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mereli1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1644merely1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English merely
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1644, John Milton: “It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500mereliWiktionary, English merely
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1644merelyWiktionary, English merely. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1644, John Milton: “It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct…”

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Today it means

adv Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “merely”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English mereli / merely