Page:Manual of the Foochow dialect.pdf/51

37 6. ADVERBS.

(1) Some adverbs may be compared like adjectives, as 慢 maing slowly, 故慢 ko maing more slowly, 盡慢 cheng maing very slowly.

(2) They also become intensive or superlative by reduplication, as 快快 k‘á k‘á very quickly, 好好 hó hó, very well.

(3) Many adjectives are used adverbially, as always seen by the con- text. The following are instances:– 好 hó (good) well, 呆 ngai (bad) badly, 少 chieu (few) seldom, 私 sü, (private) privately, 真 ching (true) truly, 正 chiăng (correct) correctly.

(4) Adverbs and adverbial phrases may be classed as in other languages, as follows:—

(a) Of place. 只塊 chu wai here 許塊 hu wai there, 冬那 tëng në where, 裡 tié or, 裡勢 tié tié inside, 處處 ch‘ëü ch‘ëü everywhere, 別位 pek oi elsewhere, 上勢 siong sié or ká teng, above, 下底 a tá, below, 前斗 seng tau, before, 後斗 a lau, behind.

(b) Of time. 仱 tang and 現在 hiéng chai now, 今旦 king tang to-day, 從來 chüng lai and 向來 hiong lai, heretofore, 將來 chiong lai, hereafter, 只古 chi u, just now, 早先 cha leng, a while ago, 就 cheu then, forthwith, 即刻 chek, k‘aik, and 直頭 tik t‘au, at once, directly, 昧 mwói not yet, 面候 miéng au when, 有時 iu si, sometimes, 許久 hü ong, so long a time, 常常 siong siong, and 時常 si siong, and 時刻 si k‘aik, constantly, seu or seu seu, frequently, 少 chieu or 少的 chieu tek, seldom, 仅 po moreover, 再 chai or kai again, 一回 sioh huí, once, ha tiăng, soon, presently.

(c) Of order. 就 cheu then, next 然後 yong haiu afterwards, 竟然 keng yong, and 畢竟 pek keng after all, at last, finally.

(d) Of negation or prohibition. 伓 ng not, 毛 mó, no, not, 莫 móh (including the auxiliary, do), do not, don't.