By only a small margin; barely or just barely; in a way that is limited in extent, amount, or scope.
From Old English 'nearu' meaning 'confined, restricted,' combined with the adverbial suffix '-ly.' Related to Old Norse 'nǫrr' (narrow) and ultimately from Proto-Germanic roots meaning 'to bind tightly.'
The phrase 'narrowly escaped' perfectly captures the spatial metaphor embedded in this word - imagine squeezing through a gap so tight that you just barely fit through. This physical sense of constriction beautifully translates to the temporal sense of 'just barely in time.'
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