English

Adverb

probly ‎(comparative more probly, superlative most probly)

1. (colloquial, slang) Eye dialect spelling of probably.

   I should probly keep my eyes on the road.

   • 1712, Jonathan Swift, "A Proposal for Correcting, Improving, and Ascertaining the English Tongue" (also titled "A letter to the Lord High Treasurer"), in The Works, Volume IV (of VIII), A. Donaldson (1761), page 349:

     La Bruyere, a late celebrated writer among them, makes use of many new terms, which are not to be found in any of the common dictionaries before his time. But the English tongue is not arrived to such a degree of perfection, as to make us apprehend any thoughts of its decay ; and if it were once refined to a certain standard, perhaps there might be ways found out to fix it for ever, or at least till we were invaded and made a conquest by some other state ; and even then our best writings might probly be preserved with care, and grow into esteem, and the authors have a chance for immortality.

   • 1737, "Debates and Proceedings in the House of Lords, on the Tithe-Bill", in The Historical Register, Volume XX, Number 86, J. Meres (1737), page 269:

     A Bill was brought in there for the Purpose mentioned in the Title of this Bill ; that Bill which was first brought in, (I think I may mention it, because it was printed) was even there acknowledged to be wrong, and therefore in the Committee they amended it in such a Manner as to make it, in a great Measure, a new Bill ; this Hurry occasioned even that new Bill, which is the Bill we now have before us, to be extremely defective, and if we proceed in the same Manner, we may probly fall into the same Error ; for I think it impossible to make a proper Bill of that we have now before us, without altering the whole, which, according to our Methods of Proceeding, cannot be done in the Committee ; […]

   • 1964, John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, LSU (1980), page 13:

     “Cawmniss! Ooo-woo. If I call a po-lice a cawmniss, my ass be in Angola right now for sure. […] They probly let you go,” the sunglasses said. “Me, they probly gimma a little talk think it scare me, even though they know I ain got them cashews. They probly try to prove I got them nuts. They probly buy a bag, slip it in my pocket. Woolsworth probly try to send me up for life.”

   • 1975, William Gaddis, J R, Knopf (1975), page 33:

     ― You come in when I point the baton right at you, and you come in playing the Rhinegold motif. Now what was that you think you just played?

     ― The Call to the Colors, anybody knows that. Besides I don't even know this here Rhinegold thing and my father said I probly should play this anyway because it's the best thing I can play.

Synonyms

• prob'ly
• prolly

Translations