An adverb is that part of speech which is joined to a verb, adjective, or other adverb, to express some circumstance, quality, degree, or manner of its signification; and hence adverbs have been termed attributives of the second order.
“As the attributives hitherto mentioned,” says Mr. Harris, “viz. adjective and verb, denote the attributes of substances, so there is an inferior class of them, which denote the attributes only of attributes. If I say, ‘Cicero was eloquent,’ I ascribe to him the attribute of eloquence simply and absolutely; if I say, ‘he was exceedingly eloquent,’ I affirm an eminent degree of eloquence, the adverb exceedingly denoting that degree. If I say, ‘he died, fighting bravely for his country,’ the word bravely here added to the verb denotes the manner of the action.” An adverb is, therefore, a word joined to a verb, or any attributive, to denote some modification, degree, or circumstance, of the expressed attribute.
Adverbs have been divided into a variety of classes, according to their signification. Some of those which denote
| Quality simply, are, | Well, ill, bravely, prudently, softly, |
| with innumerable others formed from | |
| adjectives and participles. | |
| Certainty or Affirmation | Verily, truly, undoubtedly, yea, yes, certainly. |
| Contingence | Perhaps, peradventure, perchance. |
| Negation | Nay, no, not, nowise. |
| Explaining | Namely. |
| Separation | Apart, separately, asunder. |
| Conjunction | Together, generally, universally. |
| Indication | Lo. |
| Interrogation | Why, wherefore, when, how. |
| Excess or Preeminence | Very, exceedingly, too, more, better, worse, best, worst. |
| Defect | Almost, nearly, less, least. |
| Preference | Rather, chiefly, especially. |
| Likeness or Equality | So, thus, as, equally. |
| Unlikeness or Inequality | Else, otherwise. |
| Abatement or Gradation | Piecemeal, scarcely, hardly. |
| To or in a place | Here, there, where. |
| To a place, only | Hither, thither, whither. |
| Towards a place | Hitherward, thitherward, whitherward. |
| From a place | Hence, thence, whence. |
| Time present | Now, to-day. |
| —— past | Yesterday, before, heretofore, already, hitherto, lately. |
| —— future | To-morrow, hereafter, presently, immediately, afterwards. |
| Repetition of times indef. | Often, seldom, frequently. |
| —— Definitely | Once, twice, thrice, again. |
| Order | First[108], secondly, thirdly, &c. |
| Quantity | Much, little, enough, sufficiently. |
On inquiring into the meaning and etymology of adverbs, it will appear, that most of them are abbreviations or contractions for two or more words. Thus, bravely, or “in a brave manner,” is probably derived by abbreviation from brave-like, wisely from wise-like, happily from happy-like[109]. Mr. Tooke, indeed, has proved, as I conceive incontrovertibly, that most of them are either corruptions of other words, or abbreviations of phrases or of sentences. One thing is certain, that the adverb is not an indispensable part of speech, as it serves merely to express in one word what perhaps would otherwise require two or more words. Thus,
| Where[110] | denotes | In what place |
| Here | In this place | |
| There | In that place | |
| Whither | To what place | |
| Hither | To this place | |
| Thither | To that place. |