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. |
CHAPTER VIII.
OF PREPOSITIONS.
A preposition has been defined to be “that part of speech which shows the relation that one thing bears to another.” According to Mr. Harris, it is a part of speech devoid itself of signification, but so formed as to unite words that are significant, and that refuse to unite or associate of themselves. He has, therefore, compared them to pegs or pins, which serve to unite those parts of the building which would not, by their own nature, incorporate or coalesce. When one considers the formidable objections which present themselves to this theory, and that the ingenious author now quoted has, in defence of it, involved himself in palpable contradictions, it becomes matter of surprise that it should have so long received from grammarians an almost universal and implicit assent. This furnishes one of many examples, how easily error may be imposed and propagated by the authority of a great name. But, though error may be repeatedly transmitted from age to age, unsuspected and unquestioned, it cannot be perpetuated. Mr. Horne Tooke has assailed this theory by irresistible arguments, and demonstrated that, in our language at least, prepositions are significant of ideas, and that, as far as import is concerned, they do not form a distinct species of words.
It is not, indeed, easy to imagine, that men, in the formation of any language, would invent words insignificant, and to which, singly, they attached no determinate idea; especially when it is considered, that, in every stage of their existence, from rudeness to civilization, new words would perpetually be wanting to express new ideas. It is not, therefore, probable that, while they were under the necessity of framing new words, to answer the exigences of mental enlargement, and while these demands on their invention were incessantly recurring, they would, in addition to this, encumber themselves with the idle and unnecessary task of forming new words to express nothing.