barely (adv.)youdaoicibaDictYouDict[barely 词源字典]
Old English bærlice "openly, clear, public;" see bare (adj.) + -ly (2). Meaning "only, just" is recorded from late 15c.; that of "merely, simply" is from 1570s. In 15c. it also could mean "naked."[barely etymology, barely origin, 英语词源]