gingerliness

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Related to gingerliness: flexibly, obviously

gin·ger·ly

(jĭn′jər-lē)

adv.

With great care or delicacy; cautiously.

adj.

Cautious; careful: with a gingerly step.

[Possibly alteration of obsolete French gensor, delicate, from Old French, comparative of gent, gentle; see gent¹.]

gin′ger·li·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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gingerliness

noun

1. Cautious attentiveness:

care, carefulness, caution, heed, heedfulness, mindfulness, regard.

2. Careful forethought to avoid harm or risk:

calculation, care, carefulness, caution, chariness, precaution, wariness.

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The last two syllables of Erculus show vowel harmony in the other direction; the non-involvement of the stressed syllable in that is one aspect of what I have called Alfred's gingerliness in handling the name.