50 ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX. 



NUMERAL ADVERBS. 



§ 218. Numeral adverbs are of two kinds, viz. cardinal and ordinal adverbs. 



1. a. The cardinal advei'bs, signifying the number of times an event takes place, 

 are formed by prefixing '1' (li, hi) and 'e' (a contraction of erii) or arii), time) to 

 the adjectival forms of the cardinals; as, lekdr), once; lemedzi, twice. Very often 

 eriq or arirj is pronounced in full; as, lerii) kdi], or larii} kdij. 



h. For the round numbers, igba, time., is employed ; and in this case ' n ' (ni, hi) 

 is preferred to '1,' as being more euj^honious ; as, ni igba ogiiq, twenty thnes ; ni 

 igba ogodizi., forty times. 



2. Ordinal adverbs, which denote the order in which events occur, are formed 

 by prefixing 'le' to the ordinals ; as, \(?kSmi fi>'^t j leked/i, secondly. 



ADVERBS. 

 Formation of Adverbs. 



§ 219. In regard to their origin, adverbs may be divided into four classes: 

 1, primitive adverbs; 2, nouns used adverbially; 3, words compounded of 

 nouns and other accompanying words, as prepositions, <fec. ; and 4, verbs used 

 adverbially. 



§ 220. There are but few primitive adverbs, that is words which are adverbial 

 in theii" primary acceptation ; as, lai, ever ; ewe, again ; eq, yes ; ndau, no. 



§ 221. Nouns employed as adverbs are of two classes : 



1. Primitive abstract nouns ; as, die, a little, e. g. 6 siiq die, he slept a little / 

 oke, tlie parts above., on Jiigh, vp, e. g. 6 gori oke. Tie rose up; isale, the parts 

 hehio, d<no7i, e. g. o loh isale, he went down. 



2. Derivative abstract nouns, especially those formed by redupHcation ; as, 

 nwog gbero kpikpo, they constdted much ; 6 huwa buburu, he heliaved badly. 



§ 222. 1. Many adverbial expressions are composed of ni or li, m, and an abstract 

 noun (§ 62) ; as, loni (li oni, in this-day), to-day ; nigbani (ni igbaui), long ago ; 

 lot6 (li oto), truly, &g. 



2. Sometimes, however, several words are combined into one ; as, disisiyi (di isisi 

 yi, till time this), hitherto ; nigbagbogbo (ni igba gbogbo, in time every), always. 



§ 223. Verbs are frequently converted into adverbs : 



a. t6, to be enovgh, is used in the sense of sufficiently ; as, 6 soro t6, he spohe 

 enough. 



b. tdg, or tiiij, to be new, fresh, young, is used for again ; as, o t6q de, he came 

 again. 



c. kp6, to be common, for in common, or together ; as, nwoq gbero kpo, they con- 

 sidted together. 



d. diivL, to surpass, excel, for more, much; as, buru diiii, more ^oiclced ; osised^ii, 

 he lcd>ored much or eoccessively. 



