Adverbials

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Elements in a sentence that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, typically indicating manner, time, place, or degree
2. Phrase or words adding context to the action or quality of a verb while providing additional meaning
3. Grammatical components that serve to give details about how, when, where, or to what extent actions occur

Etymology: "Adverbials" is the plural of "adverbial," a noun for a word or phrase that modifies a verb in the way an adverb does. The adjective "adverbial" was borrowed from Latin "adverbiālis," an adjective formed from "adverbium," meaning "adverb," so the word is literally "of or pertaining to the adverb." The Latin "adverbium" was itself a compound of "ad," "to" or "toward," and "verbum," "word" or "verb," reflecting the word's role as something attached to a verb. The English noun is a grammatical term that uses the adjective as a substantive, so the plural names a whole class of such words and phrases. Its structure is transparent: "adverb" plus the suffix "-ial," which turns a noun into an adjective meaning "relating to" that noun.