Selected Papers from the Fourteenth International ... - STIBA Malang

Adverb-marking in coordinate constructions 185
to the phenomenon of zero morphology in coordinate constructions in other
languages (Section 5).
2. Structural types in English deadjectival adverb formation
The historical development of deadjectival adverb formation in English has been
outlined in e.g., Nevalainen (1994, 1997) and Pounder (2001). If we restrict ourselves
to conversion and derivation, considering e.g., -wise to be a serial compounding
element and thus ignoring it, then this development involves the relative
prominence of two alternatives: conversion as in QUICK ADJ → QUICK ADV ,
originally the reflex of suffixation by -e, and derivation by means of the suffix -ly.
We will call the conversion product a “zero adverb” for the sake of convenience,
without any implication that suffixation of a zero-affix is involved. There have
been, throughout Early Modern and Modern English, restrictions of various sorts
on both conversion and ly-suffixation, outlined in e.g., Pounder (2001), and both
lexical and systemic preferences. One very clear and consistent preference is for
ly-suffixation in written texts of all types (Nevalainen 1994, 1997); presumably, use
of conversion in at least some registers of spoken English has been consistently
healthy. The following outlines the syntactic contexts in which zero adverbs as well
as ly-suffixations may be found in Early Modern and Late Modern English.
To begin with, sentence adverbs are generally ly-suffixed, with some exceptions,
notably sure as in this example from play dialogue (4):
(4) She won’t tell my wife sure, I’m ruined if she does … (Carroll 1700)
Given that the zero postverbal modifier is generally associated with the spoken
mode and informal registers in Present-day English, we do not expect to see it
in recent written texts, and indeed, it is rare in texts of any type in Early or Late
Modern English. However, it is occasionally found with verbs such as write, speak,
behave, an example of which is shown in (5). Otherwise, the ly-adverb occurs.
(5) To write English anything tollerable, the distinct sound of each Syllable is most
carefully to be attended to? [sic] (Saxon 1737: 20)
Until the nineteenth century, the most favourable syntactic context for the zero
adverb in written texts is that of the adverbial or adjectival modifier, as shown in (6),
where we see both alternatives in one text. In this context as well, the ly-adverbs
are much more frequent in texts.
(6) a. She seemed extream careful …
b. … and so withdrew extreamly touched with her way … (Aulnoy 1708: 114)