Määrsõnane

Määrsõnane is a grammatical term used in some Finnic languages, particularly Estonian, to describe a specific type of adverbial phrase. It refers to a construction that modifies a verb or another adverb, providing information about manner, time, place, or degree. Unlike single adverbs, määrsõnane consists of multiple words that function together as a single adverbial unit.

These phrases can be formed in various ways. One common structure involves a noun in a particular case, often the genitive or partitive, followed by a postposition. For example, in Estonian, "pärast vihma" (after the rain) functions as a temporal adverbial phrase. Another type can be a prepositional phrase, where a preposition governs a noun or pronoun, like "koos sõpradega" (with friends), indicating accompaniment. Adjective-noun combinations can also act as a määrsõnane, such as "väga kiiresti" (very quickly), where "väga" modifies the adverb "kiiresti".

The key characteristic of a määrsõnane is its cohesive adverbial function. Even though it is composed of multiple words, it expresses a single adverbial meaning and can often be replaced by a single adverb without significantly altering the sentence's core meaning. Understanding määrsõnane is important for analyzing sentence structure and the nuances of adverbial modification in these languages.