50 ETYMOLOGY AND SYNTAX. 



NUMERAL ADVERBS. 



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



1. a. The cardinal adverbs, signifying the number of times an event takes place, 

 are formed by prefixing '1' (li, in) and 'e' (a contraction of eriq or ariq, time) to 

 the adjectival forms of the cardinals; as, lekdq, once; lemedii, twice. Very often 

 erig or arii) is pronounced in full ; as, leriq kdq, or lariq kdr). 



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

 is preferred to '1,' as being more euphonious ; as, ni igba ogiiq, twenty times ; ni 

 igba ogodiiA, forty times. 



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

 by prefixing ' le ' to the ordinals ; as, lekini, first ; lekedii, 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, &c. ; and 4, verbs used 

 adverbially. 



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

 in their primary acceptation ; as, lai, eveft^ ; ewe, again ; eq, yes ; ndau, nx). 



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



1. Primitive abstract nouns; as, die, a little^ e. g. 6 suq die. Tie shpt a little ; 

 6ke, the parts above^ on Mgh, wp^ e. g. 6 gori 6ke, he rose tip ; isale, the parts 

 below, down, e. g. o 16h isale, he went dmon. 



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

 nwoq gbero kpikpb, they consulted much / 6 huwa buburu, he behaved badly. 



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

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

 l6t6 (li oto), truly, &c. 



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 enough, is used in the sense of sufitcientl/y / as, 6 s6ro t6, he spoke 

 enough. 



b. toq, or tiiq, to be new, fresh, young, is used for again / as, 6 t6q de, he came 

 again. 



c. kp6, to be common, for in comm/m, or together / as, nwoq gbero kp6, they con- 

 sulted together. 



d. d^u, to surpass, excel, for mm-e, much; as, burn d^u, moreroicked ; 6 sised^u, 

 he labored m,uch or excessivel/y. 



