ROM: Lesson - Adverbs
Adverbs
Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They usually provide the manner in which something was done, but can serve other purposes: for instance, usually in this sentence is a frequency adverb.
Latin adverbs come in two forms: those that are formed from adjectives and those that are independent of any adjective form.
Adverbs Formed from Adjectives
For adverbs formed from 1st/2nd declension adjectives, the process of creating the adverb form is quite simple. Simply add -e to the adjective base:
- laetus, laeta, laetum - happy
- Base: laet- (laeta - a)
- Add -e:
- laete
- sacer, sacra, sacrum - sacred
- Base: sacr- (sacra - a)
- Add -e:
- sacre
- durus, dura, durum - hard.
- Base: dur- (dura - a)
- Add -e:
- dure
Adverb Translation
Most adverbs in English end in -ly: generally, mostly, highly, etc. As you can see, English uses a similar method of adverb formation: we take the adjective and add -ly.
- high → highly.
This will not work 100% of the time, but it is a good rule of thumb. So, the translation of our example adverbs from above are as follows:
- laete = happily
- sacre = sacredly (in a sacred manner)
- dure = hardly
Nota Bene: Some adjectives, like amicus, already have an English meaning ending in -ly: friendly. To use amicus as an adverb, use the phrase in a friendly manner.
- Amice diximus. - We spoke in a friendly manner.
- Alternatively, you can rearrange the phrase to use it as an adjective: We had a friendly talk.
Irregular Adverbs
Not all adjectives form an adverb in this manner. Let's look at four adjectives that do not follow the above method:
- bonus, bona, bonum - good
- Adverb: bene
- Meaning: well
- magnus, magna, magnum - great, large
- Adverb: magnopere
- Meaning: greatly, largely
- parvus, parva, parvum - small
- Adverb: parum
- Meaning: a little
- multus, multa, multum - much (many, pl)
- Adverb: multum
- Meaning: much
Please memorize these four so that you can recognize them when you see them in a Latin text.