In a bleak manner; in a way that is bare, desolate, cold, or without hope.
From 'bleak' (Old Norse 'bleikr') + '-ly' (Old English adverbial suffix from 'like'). The adverbial form describes how an action is performed or how something appears.
Adverbs ending in '-ly' are so common we forget they're relatively recent—Old English didn't have this pattern, so '-ly' adverbs represent medieval linguistic innovation!
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