iously

iously is not a standalone word in English; it is a common orthographic sequence that appears at the end of many adverbs formed from adjectives ending in -ious or -eous when the adverbial suffix -ly is added. In other words, -iously arises from the combination of the base adjective ending in -ious (or -eous in some cases) with the usual adverb suffix -ly.

The pattern is primarily productive in English morphology, helping to create adverbs of manner that describe how an action is performed. The base adjectives typically convey a quality or condition, and the corresponding -ly adverb specifies the manner of its realization. Because the adjectives end in -ious, the resulting adverbs commonly contain the sequence -iously, although not every derived form is identical in pronunciation or stress.

Examples of adverbs that end with -iously include curiously, ambitiously, deliciously, graciously, gloriously, ceremoniously, suspiciously, voraciously, and variously. These forms illustrate how the same -ious ending in the adjective frequently yields an adverb in which -ly attaches directly, producing the surface string -iously.

In usage, words containing -iously function as adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, often conveying manner, degree, or manner of appearance. The presence of -iously can influence spelling conventions, particularly in capitalization, hyphenation in compounds, and syllabification in multisyllabic words.

See also: -ly, -ious, adjectives ending in -ious, adverbs of manner.