Morphological features of the adverb

Adverbs vary in their structure. There are simple, derived, compound, and composite adverbs (Fig. 94).

Fig. 94

Simple adverbs are rather few, and nearly all of them display functional semantics, mostly of pronominal character.

In derived adverbs the most common suffix is -ly, by means of which new adverbs are coined from adjectives and participles. The characteristic adverbial prefix is a-.

Among the adverbs there are also peculiar composite formations and phrasal formations of prepositional, conjunctional and other types. Compound adverbs are formed of two stems. Composite phrasal adverbs consist of two or more word-forms.

Some authors include in the word-building sets of adverbs also formations of the type from outside, till now, before then, etc.

The only pattern of morphological change for adverbs is the degrees of comparison. The three grades are called positive, comparative, and superlative degrees (Fig. 95).

Fig. 95

Adverbs that are identical in form with adjectives take inflections following the same spelling and phonetic rules as for adjectives. Several adverbs ending in -ly (quickly, loudly) form comparatives according to the same pattern, dropping their adverb-forming suffix. These adverbs acquired the form in -ly only recently and retained the older forms of the comparative and superlative.

However most disyllabic adverbs in -ly and all polysyllabic ones form the comparative and superlative analytically, by means of more and most.

There is a small group of adverbs with comparatives and superlatives formed from different stems (suppletive forms) (Fig. 96).

Forms

Analitical

(most disyllabic adverbs in -ly and all polysyllabic adverbs)

e.g.

wisely-more wisely-most wisely

Synthetical

(adverbs that are identical in form with adjectives)

e.g.

early-earlier-earliest

Suppletive

e.g.

well-better-best

Fig. 96

Syntactic features of the adverb

.

In accord with their categorial meaning, adverbs are characterised by a combinability with verbs, adjectives and words of adverbial nature (Fig. 97). The functions of adverbs in these combinations consist in expressing different adverbial modifiers.

Adverbs can also refer to whole situations; in this function they are considered under the heading of situation-“determinants”.

Adverbs can also combine with nouns acquiring in such cases a very peculiar adverbial-attributive function, essentially in post-position, but in some cases also in pre-position.

Some adverbs are restricted in their combinability whereas others may modify different words.

Fig. 97

Adverbs may function as adverbial modifiers of manner, place, time, degree to a finite or non-finite form of the verb. Adverbs may also function as adverbial modifiers to an adjective or another adverb. Usually the modifying adverb is an intensifier.

There are some adverbs which may modify nouns or words of nominal character, functioning as attributes (Fig. 98).

Fig. 98