ADVERB. As an adjective is joined to a noun, so is an A., for analogous purposes, to a verb, an adjective, or another A. From the frequency with which adverbs are joined to verbs, they get their name. An A. cannot be the subject, the copula or the predicate of a proposition; and is, therefore, a secondary part of speech, logically speaking. Ac cording to their signification, adverbs may be divided into-1. of place, as where, towards; 2. of time, as erer, immediately; 3. of degree, as very, almost; 4. of man ner, as thus, wisely; 5. of belief or doubt, as perhaps, no, etc.—It is commonly said that "some adverbs admit of comparison ;" as if in this respect they differed from adjectives. The truth is that adverbs admit of comparison under the same limitations, neither more nor less, that restrict the comparison of adjectives. Thus, soon is compared as naturally as hard. If now or thus cannot be compared, neither can wooden nor circular; and in both cases for the same reason—the sense forbids it. The laws of euphony prevent alike
miserable and miserably from being compared grammatically, i.e., by the addition of er and est; but both admit of logical comparison by the use of more and most.—A large class of adverbs in English are formed from adjectives by annexing the syllable which is just the word like. Most languages have sonic such means of distinguishing the A. from the adjective, except the German, in which they are alike. Adverbs in general may be looked upon as abbreviations of phrases; thus here = in this place, then = at that time, wisely = like a wise man. Combinations of words that can thus be represented by a single adverb, and all combinations that are analogous, though they may have no single word equivalent to them, called adverbial expressions. _