tonguely

English

WOTD – 2 August 2022

Pronunciation

Something can be called “tonguely” when it pertains to the tongue (adjective sense 1).

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtʌŋli/, /-ɡli/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (General American):

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• Hyphenation: tongue‧ly

Etymology 1

From tongue +‎ -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns, with the sense “appearing like or resembling [what is denoted by the noun]”).

Adjective

tonguely (not comparable) (informal, rare)

1. Of or pertaining to the tongue; lingual.
   • 1973, The Midwest Quarterly: A Journal of Contemporary Thought, volume XV, Pittsburgh, Kan.: Kansas State College of Pittsburg, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 374:

     [A] meadow / in his own right, all inwardly afire, ten / thousand tonguely shadings painting him / angelic warden of the face of earth.

   • 1998, H. Lloyd Goodall, Food Talk: A Man’s Guide to Cooking and Conversation with Women, Greensboro, N.C.: Snowgoose Cove Pub., →ISBN, page 91:

     However simple this basic recipe for tonguely delight seems, many men mess it up in gender-specific ways.

   • 2003, Elizabeth George, “I, Richard”, in I, Richard, New York, N.Y.: Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 196:

     A quick dash back to the bed. A tonguely examination of her dental work. A frantic clutching between her legs.

   • 2005, Matthew Pateman, “Lolita—A Region in Flames”, in Nicole Bracker, Stefan Herbrechter, editors, Metaphors of Economy (Critical Studies; 25), Amsterdam, New York, N.Y.: Editions Rodopi, →ISBN, page 119:

     "Lo-lee-ta." Our palatal journey, our physical introduction, our tonguely tour of her body in all its divisibility, takes us to her complete sundering: the phonemes have become, as indeed they ought to be as the true bearers of signification, whole in themselves.

   • 2016, Esther Leslie, “Meltwater”, in Liquid Crystals: The Science and Art of a Fluid Form, London: Reaktion Books, →ISBN, page 189:

     Language must be further defined through language, more tonguely flexing, more mobilized spittle, more swirls of ink.

2. Pertaining or relating to languages; lingual, linguistic.
   • 1847 May, Fanny Forester [pseudonym; Emily Chubbuck], “A Dream”, in George R[ex] Graham, editor, Graham’s American Monthly Magazine of Literature and Art, volume XXX, number 5, Philadelphia, Pa.: George R. Graham & Co. […], →OCLC, page 316, column 1:

     Women are proverbial for tonguely gifts, and orators do not require very great depth. Like the belle with her chit-chat, it is the tone and manner which do execution.

   • [1974, Werner Manheim, “The Dialogical Principle”, in Martin Buber (Twayne’s World Authors Series, Germany; TWAS 269), New York, N.Y.: Twayne Publishers, →ISBN, page 31:

     Only the silence of the spirit in which Thou is addressed can liberate Thou, as [Martin] Buber says, out of the "pre-tonguely," pre-speech-formed It-world.]

   • 2011, Jonas Hassen Khemiri, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles, Montecore: The Silence of the Tiger (A Borzoi Book), 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →ISBN, part 2, footnote 9, page 79:

     His English was and is excellent, just like his French and Spanish. "Few men share this man's tonguely talent for languages!" auctioned Qaddafi [i.e., Muammar Gaddafi] in a speech of praise to your father when he was delegated Libya's official photo prize recently.

Related terms

• tonguey, tonguy

Translations

of or pertaining to the tongue — see lingual

pertaining or relating to languages — see linguistic

Etymology 2

From tongue +‎ -ly (suffix forming adverbs from adjectives and nouns).

Adverb

tonguely (not comparable)

1. (nonstandard, rare) In terms of or with the tongue; lingually.
   • 2006, Shawn Postoff, “Sir Richard Wadd, Pornographer”, in Sky Gilbert, editor, Perfectly Abnormal: Seven Gay Plays, Toronto, Ont.: Playwrights Canada Press, →ISBN, page 132:

     How can such a head not tempt him tonguely? And so he tastes it; […]

   • 2011, Eddie Horton, Just Compass, Bloomington, Ind.: Balboa Press, Hay House, →ISBN, page 173:

     "How's it going Harold?", gravelled masculinely from a few tables away. "Yeah, not bad mate", as my rested pen raises brows that in turn tonguely prime lips for conversing.

Translations

in terms of or with the tongue — see lingually

Further reading

• tongue on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• younglet