unthriftily

English

Etymology

From Middle English unthriftily. By surface analysis, unthrifty +‎ ly.

Adverb

unthriftily (comparative more unthriftily, superlative most unthriftily)

1. In a way that is not thrifty.
3. (obsolete) In an immoral or dissolute manner.

Middle English

Alternative forms

• unthryftyly, unthriftili

Etymology

From un- +‎ thriftily, or unthrifty +‎ -ly.

Adverb

unthriftily

1. Unthriftily, immorally.
2. Poorly.
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Tale of the Chanons Yeman”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC, folio lxv, verso, column 1:

     Lo, thus by ſmellyng, & by thred bare aray / yf that men lyſt, thys folke knowe they may / And yf a man wol aſke hem priuely / Why they be clothed ſo unthryftely / Ryght anone they wol rowne in hys ere / And ſayne, yf that they aſpyed were / Then wolde hem ſlee, bycauſe of her ſcience / Lo thus theſe folke bytrayen innocence

     Thus by their smell and their threadbare dress / these folks may be identified, if men wish to do so. / And if some man were to ask them privately / Why they are dressed so poorly / They would instantly whisper in his ear / And say that, should they be noticed, / they would be slain on account of their [secret] knowledge. / Lo, thus these folks betray others' innoscence!