Sunday, July 28, 2024

04.09.24: adverbs [2](1); -ē; -ter (1)

We first focus on the formation of adverbs which are the equivalent of English –ly. These are known as adverbs of manner since they describe how an action was performed.

[i] 1st / 2nd declension adjectives remove the ending, and -ē is added to the stem

  • cār¦us: dear > cār¦ē: dearly
  • cert¦us [certain] > certē [certainly]
  • laet¦us [happy] > laetē [happily]
  • lāt¦us: far; broad > lātē: widely; broadly; far and wide; everywhere
  • pulcher, pulchr¦a, -um > pulchr¦ē [beautifully]
  • note: bonus > bene: well

One proverb helps you remember this ending:

festinā lentē: hasten slowly [ = the more hurry, the less speed]


[ii] 3rd declension adjectives form adverbs with the ending –ter; remove the /s/ of the gen. sg. to find the stem to which –ter is added:

  • celer > gen. sg. celeri[s] > celeri- > celeri|ter: quickly
  • fortis > gen. sg. forti[s] > forti- > fortiter: bravely
  • ācer > gen. sg. ācri[s] > ācri- > ācriter: sharply; strongly
  • fēlix > gen. sg. fēlīci[s] > fēlīci- > fēlīciter: happily; fortunately
  • mendāx > gen. sg. mendāci[s] > mendāci- > mendāciter: falsely; deceptively


fortiter: bravely
fideliter: faithfully
feliciter: happily

[iii] 3rd declension adjectives ending in –ns are formed by the removal of /s/ of the nom. sg. –ter then being added to the stem; note the shortening of /ē/ > /e/

  • dīligēn[s] > dīligeter: diligently; carefully
  • libēn[s] > liben¦ter: willingly
  • potēn[s] > poten¦ter: powerfully
  • prūdēn[s] > prūdenter: wisely; prudently
  • sapiēn[s] > sapienter: wisely

[iv] Note that there are adjectives which form their adverbs in irregular ways:

  • facilis > facile: easily
  • difficilis > difficilē: with difficulty





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