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Grammar of adverbs

Adverb is the word that modifies a verb, adjective or other determiner, clause. Adverbs usually express location (place, space), time and frequency, manner and reason. Nûrlâm has few adverbs in it's core dictionary. But they could be easily made from adjectives or other lexical categories by adding suffix -arz to the root of short adjectives, or replacing suffix -ûrz of long adjectives with -arz. For example, hîs (quick) becomes hîsarz (quickly) but sîgûrz (long) becomes sîgarz (for a long time). Please note, that adverbs in English often have the same form as adjectives (e.g. “quick” instead of “quickly”), but in Nûrlâm they should always have different form.

Adverbs have no agreement with verbs in grammar. The only grammar form adverbs have beside nominal is the comparative, which is made by adding suffix -ar (the same as adjectives) placed after suffix -arz if adverb has it or after the root for short adverbs. Example is hîsarzar (= more quickly).

For adverb's position in sentence (word order) see corresponding article in Syntax chapter.

Some short adverbs are clitic attached to the verbs to express grammatical category of aspect.

Some adverbs (relative, interrogative, indefinite, quantifier) are similar to pronouns and conjugations, so may be confused with them. They are grouped together with some other words as pro-forms.

Some adverbs are similar to adpositions when take noun together into an adverbial phrase. For example “far away” (adverb) and “far from home” (adposition + noun + postposition).

Adverbs within impersonal constructions

Some adverbs are often used in impersonal constructions “it's (adv.)” which usually change modality of phrase. They don't signal about any particular modality without additional words and previous statements. Most of them may be replaced with verb “to be” + adjective or gerundive with adjectival meaning.

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The list of adverbs with Necessitative meaning

These adverbs are used together with gerundives to express necessitative modality - order to 3rd person to do something. As modal verb “must” (= “maug”) is not used with such impersonal sentences, the whole phrase do not much of obligation tone and information about issuer of command, but what and when to do may be strictly stated.

English Nûrlâm Example Replacement
desirable ghîrarz
important hormarz adjective “horm”:
necessary bolkarz gerundive “bolkat”, adjective “bolkûrz”:

Together with verb “to be” in past tense (“kuz” = “it was”) these adverbs indicate hypothetical or counterfactual modalities.

The list of adverbs used with various epistemic modalities

These adverbs are used together with various epistemic modalities (actions that may be): potential, dubitative, subjunctive, eventive, counterfactual and others.

English Nûrlâm Example Replacement
natural
probably, (im)possible, (un)likely (nar-)falgarz adjective “falgûrz”:
strange
unbelievable
grammar_adverb.1623102784.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/09/07 14:47 (external edit)