Adverbs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Elements within sentences that enhance or clarify the actions and qualities by indicating manner, time, location, or intensity
2. Linguistic modifiers that provide additional context regarding how, when, where, or to what extent actions are performed or qualities are expressed
3. Words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by providing details about circumstances like manner, time, place, or degree

Etymology: The plural "adverbs" is simply the plural of "adverb," so its story is the story of the singular. "Adverb" was borrowed from French "adverbe," which came from Latin "adverbium," built from "ad" meaning "to" and "verbum" meaning "word" or "verb." The name reflects the word's job: an adverb is a word added alongside other words to supplement them, not one that stands on its own. The Latin "-ium" ending is a common suffix used to form nouns. The name is a little misleading. Although the Latin term means something like "that which goes with a verb," adverbs modify far more than verbs. They can qualify adjectives, as in "very tired," or other adverbs, as in "extremely slowly," so the "verb" in the name only describes one of their roles.

Synonyms: modifiers, qualifiers