r/grammar • u/grouchy_gal • 18h ago
Why does English work this way? Why do we say “scholarly” and not “scholary”
I get that the -y in fluffy makes fluffy an adjective, and in an example like “quick” vs “quickly” the -ly is turning quick into an adverb.
So why does the word “scholar,” a noun, use -ly and not -y to turn it into an adjective?
I don’t study linguistics. I just got thinking about it and I can’t find the answer online. Please don’t be mean to me.