Adverbs expressing modifications of qualities are ge nerally derived from adjectives. Such are adverbs in and iter in Latin, as long? ingenzd., breviter, feliciter. In English they are formed by the addition of the termina tion " ly," as in " shortly," 44 considerably," " wonderful ly." This termination seems, as Mr Tooke remarks, to owe its origin to the word " like," of which it is an al teration, or, as he terms it, a corruption. It is sometimes used as an adjective termination in composition with a substantive, as in " princely," " kingly," which mean " prince-like" and 44 king-like." The adoption of it for dis tinguishing the adverb is entirely conventional, and the most profound investigation of its meaning will not lead us to a satisfactory conclusion on the nature of this part of speech. Yet the use made of this termination, and the nature of the adverb, are sufficiently apparent. They imply a notification that the idea expressed by the compound word is to be annexed in syntax, not to a substantive noun, but to an adjective or a verb. They are also capable of being attached to other adverbs; as very nobly," " surprisingly well," too uniformly." The adverbs just mentioned are called adverbs of man ner. Some of them merely express a general reference, and have the same relation to the words called demonstra tive pronouns which others have to different adjectives.
Of Adverbs.
THE term Adverb is considered by Mr Tooke as ex pressive of no character by which a part of speech can be distinguished. He considers the adoption of it as an arti fice by means of which, under the colour of scientific or der, grammarians have brought together a variety of words, originating in abbreviations and corruptions, and possess ing in ro other respect any common property. In this opinion we cannot acquiesce, although we are sensible that some confusion has arisen from the unskilfulness of grammarians in ranking among adverbs some words which ought to have been included under a different head.
Adverbs are words expressly formed for the purpose of subjoining an idea to that which is contained in an adjec tive or a vet h. They are all capable of being annexed to verbs, and some of them to no other part of speech. From this circumstance the whole class has derived its designa tion. They never express an idea in so close subjunc tion as a run governed by a verb in the accusative ; they Such are the adverbs " thus," 44 so," and " as." In Lanca shire, instead of " thus" and 44 it is common to say this'n," and " that'n." There are numeral adverbs as well as adjectives. Such are " once," " twice," and " thrice." These belong to the cardinal numbers, as expressing repetition. There are also adverbs which signify a mere reference to repetition, such as " first," secondly," and " thirdly," and belong to the ordinal.
There are adverbs of local situation, as " here," " there ;" and of local aspect, as " hence," " thence," " hither," ". thither," " upward," "forward."
Adverbs of time, as " now," " formerly,"" soon," " after wards," " immediately." It is unnecessary to enlarge on the nature of these words, or to point out tno phrases into which they are resolvable, and of which trey ate! are abbreviations.
The adverbs of Affirmation and Negation have been reckoned in their nature from all the others. When the subject, the predicate, and the copula, are ar ranged in the order of assertion, no separate word is ne cessary to affirmation ; but sometimes an adverb is con joined, to call the attention of the mind with greater em phasis to the truth of the assertion. Such are the adverbs " indeed," " truly," and " certainly." If a question is asked which admits of an answer by the simple affirmation or negation, the answers in the affirmative may be given in English by such adverbs as 44 certainly," "even so ;" or in Latin by etiam, imo, or utique. Sometimes a peculiar word, and one which is never used as an adverb in a sentence, is applied to this object. The English word 44 yes," is of this kind. "Yes," is considered by Mr Tooke as derived from ay-es " have" or " enjoy," and meaning 44 have or entertain that belief." The English " yea," the German ja, and the corresponding words in the northern languages, are derived from a similar source. It is therefore to be considered not as an advetb, but as an abbreviation for a sentence. The adverb " certainly," and others equivalent to it, become by ellipsis contractions for the same sentence. If we keep out of view the etymological origin of the words used on such occasions, and consider them all as containing an equally full expression of the meaning of the speaker, we must reckon them abbreviations for sentences; but wherever they are introduced into the body of a sen tence, they are adverbs possessing the same properties as other words of that class. They signify that the assertions to which they are applied are not hypothetical, but in con formity to the nature of things.
The negative adverb expresses the absence of this conformity. The same word is in some languages either used singly as an answer to a question, or annexed to a verb in the formation of a sentence. The Latin words minima, nequaquanz, and non, are used in both of these ways. But in English the word is on these occasions sub jected to a slight change. The adverb is "not." The ne gative answer is 44 no." This last is said to be of prior date, and derived from a verb signifying 44 I deny," or " I am averse ;" but, whatever its etymological origin may be, it is, like the word " yes," a contraction for a sentence, with this difference, that the sentence for which it stands implies the force of the adverb "not," and thus reverses the meaning. " Not" has the same general character with the other adverbs: it modifies the verb, and thus forms part of the predicate.