Adverbialsuffix

An adverbial suffix is a derivational suffix that forms adverbs or adverbial modifiers from other parts of speech, typically from adjectives. Such suffixes serve to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs and convey information about manner, degree, time, place, or direction.

In English, the most productive adverb-forming suffix is -ly: quick becomes quickly, careful becomes carefully. Not all words follow this pattern; well is an irregular adverb (from good), and fast can function as both an adjective and an adverb without -ly. Other adverbial suffixes include -ward, as in forward and backward, and -wise, as in clock­wise, likewise, or lengthwise.

Cross-linguistically, adverbial suffixes take various forms. Spanish commonly forms adverbs with the suffix -mente from adjectives (rápido → rápidamente). German uses -erweise to derive certain adverbs from adjectives (glücklich → glücklicherweise). Russian often forms adverbs from adjectives using suffixes such as -о or -е (быстрый → быстро, медленный → медленно). Italian also employs -mente to produce adverbs from adjectives (lent o → lentamente).

The availability and productivity of adverbial suffixes vary by language. Some languages rely heavily on suffixation to create adverbs, while others prefer periphrastic or lexical adverbs without explicit suffixation. Adverbial suffixes are a topic within derivational morphology and typology, reflecting how different languages expand the set of adverbs and express related semantic nuances.