Revised as of
19 Nov 2022
When using first as an adverb, you can use either first or firstly. What you CANNOT do is mix them up, e.g., first, secondly, thirdly, fourth, etc.. Choose either first, second, third, etc., OR firstly, secondly, thirdly, etc.
The -ly is a more formal usage — it makes me want to use thus! But the primary reason to not use the -ly version is the length of the word as well as the awkwardness if you get into the fiftiethlys . . . eek! Then there are the purists who object to the -lys.
If you want to emphasize that an item is the first one you are going to mention, you can say first of all.
| I have made a commitment, first of all to myself, and secondly to my family. | First of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming. |
Word Confusions . . .
Without descending into minutiae, you can apply the rules and examples to second/secondly, third/thirdly, fourth/fourthly, etc.
. . . tarted as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.
| First | Firstly |
|---|---|
Nancy Reagan is by an official White House photographer and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — First Lady Nancy Reagan in her official White House photograph. |
Dr. Andrew Thompson Teaching at the Tennessee Annual Conference, 10 June 2014, is SportsandHistoryReader521’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — Firstly . . . |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective; Adverb; Noun
Plural for noun: firsts |
Adverb |
| Adjective: Being before all others with respect to time, order, rank, importance, etc.
[Music] Highest or chief among several voices or instruments of the same class [Often an initial capital letter when spelled out] Being a member of the household or an intimate acquaintance of the president of the U.S. or of the governor of a state Adverb: Before some other thing, event, etc. For the first time In preference to something else
In the first place Noun: The beginning The first part
[Music] The voice or instrument that takes the highest or chief part in its class, especially in an orchestra or chorus
[Automotive] Low gear
The winning position or rank in a race or other competition [Baseball] First base |
[Formal] Used to introduce a first point or reason
|
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: He took first place at the Olympics. He found that first edition of Samuel Pepys’ diaries. The first vice president was Thomas Jefferson. I finally achieved first chair in the bass section. He was Lord John’s firstborn. The duet was sung by the first alto and first soprano. No, you have to start in first gear. The First Lady usually takes on a signature project while the president is in office. Checkers was the first dog. Adverb: She first visited Atlanta in 1980. I’d die first. In the first place, I’m your mother, and you’ll do what I say. First, we should start up the chainsaw. Second, we can cut down that grove of trees. Noun: Skinwalker is the first book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. She shifted into first and drove off. She was first in the equestrian event. “Herman Schaefer is the only known person to ever steal first in a Major League game”, forcing what is now Rule 7.08i (Hiskey). |
Firstly it is wrong, and secondly, it is extremely difficult to implement.
Firstly, we should start up the chainsaw. Secondly, we can cut down that grove of trees. Firstly you’re late, and secondly, you’ve forgotten your homework. Firstly, vitamin C is needed for hormone production. Firstly, we must stop the bleeding. Firstly, it’s too small and secondly it’s too expensive. |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English fyr(e)st is of Germanic origin and related to the Old Norse fyrstr and German Fürst meaning prince, from an Indo-European root shared by the Sanskrit prathama, the Latin primus, and the Greek prōtos. | Its first known use was in 1525-35. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for First versus Firstly
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Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: first
The Free Dictionary: firstly
Hiskey, Daven. “Here Once was a Major League Baseball Player Who Once Stole First From Second.” Today I Found Out. 18 Aug 2012. Web. n.d. <http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/08/there-once-was-a-major-league-baseball-player-who-stole-first-from-second/>.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Chalkboard by 472301 is under the CC0 license, via Pixabay; Lecture is under the CC0 1.0 license, via VisualHunt; and, Barnstar-Megaphone is courtesy of the US government and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
