CHAPTER - 7

7. Classification of Adverbs in Assamese and Boro.

7.1 Adverbs in Assamese.

Adverbs in Assamese are those forms that modify the action of the

verb. In other words, adverbs describe the manner, time and place of accom­

plishment of action of the verbs. They do not have a fixed place of occur­

rence in the sentence. They preferably occur in initial position in sentences

and generally do not occur in initial position in sentences and generally do

not occur in sentences finally also. The following example could be seen.

/kaildi tumi ahiba/ ‘you will please come tomorrow’.

/tumi bhalkoi porhiba/ ‘you will study very well’.

/agphale aha/ ‘(you please) come forward’.

7.1.1 Most of the adverbs in Assamese are identifiable by the derivational

suffixes they carry, such as {-e} and {-koi}. There are such affixes too, i.e.

{-i}, <-ete}, {-ai), {-adi}, {-"Ou}, {-o}, {-poti}, {-tf'abe}, {-dare}, {-kT3i},

{hoi}.

7.1.2 Some adverbs are identifiable by derivational prefixes also; but

such prefixes are very few. These are {a-} and {ore-}.

7.2 Classification of Adverbs.

From the view points of the forms, the adverbs in Assamese could

be classified as under
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For various kinds of adverbs and their derivation and usage sec.

8.6 to 8.20 may be referred to.

7.3 Simple Adverbs.

Simple adverbs are single morpheme adverbs. No suffixes or

prefixes are added to them. Depending upon their semantic content they are

divided into six classes. They are as under.

(i) Adverbs of Time.

(ii) Adverbs of Duration.

(iii) Adverbs of Frequency.

(iv) Adverbs of Place

(v) Adverbs of Concession and

(vi) Adverbs of Sequence.

7.3.1 Adverbs of Time

The word that refer to the time when the action of the verb takes
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place are called adverbs of time. The following Assamese adverbs of time

could be seen.

/azi/ ‘today’

/kali/ ‘yesterday’

/azikali/ ‘now a days’

7.3.2 Adverbs of Duration

The words that refer to the period of happening of action of the

verb are called adverbs of duration. The following example of Assamese

adverbs of duration could be seen.

/tothapi/ ‘still’

/itimoidhje/ ‘already’

7.3.3 Adverbs o f Frequency

The words that refer to the frequency of occurrence of the action

of the verbs are called adverbs of frequency. The following example could

be seen.

/praje/ ‘often’

/ketijaba/ ‘sometimes’

7.3.4 Adverb o f Place

The words that refer to the locus of happening of the action of the

verbs are called adverb of place. Such adverbs are basically bound morphemes,

and they undergo inflection for allative, genitive and locative cases. The

following examples of Assamese adverbs o f place could be seen.

Adverb root Allative Genitive Locative

/ija-/ /ija-loi/ ‘to this place’ /ija-r/ ‘of here’ /ija-t/ ‘here’
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/ta-/ /ta-loi/ ‘to that place’ /ta-r/ of there’ /ta-t/ ‘there in’

7.3.5 Adverbs of Concession

The words that refer to some concssion or conditions of happening

of action suggested by the verbs are called adverbs of concession. They are

very few in number. The following examples could be seen

/tothapi/ ‘then’

/teo/ ‘still’

/t'Obu/ ‘still’
i

7.3.6 Adverbs of Sequence

The words that indicate time in terms of the sequence in which

actions suggested by the verbs take place are called adverb of sequence. The

following example could be seen.

/pise/ ‘but’

/pisot/ ‘after words’

/age/ ‘before’

/ageje/ ‘before’

7.4 Complex Adverbs

Complex adverbs are derived from simple words of different classes

by suffixation, prefixation and double affixation too. They could be divided

into five classes.

These are as under -

(i) Adverbs of Manner.

(ii) Adverbs of Duration cum Repeatation.

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(iii) Adverb of Action comparison.

(iv) Adverb of Frequency and

(v) Adverb of Sequence.

It would be appropriate if we have detail discussion about each of

them.

7.4.1 Adverb o f Manner

The adverb that refer to the manner of accomplishment of the action

of the verbs or the intensity of effect of the actions of the verbs are generally

referred to as Adverbs of Manner. Such adverbs are derived by suffixing

{-kT)i} or {-alooi}, {~i}, {ai} to the words of some other class. Generally

{-kDi} is suffixed to some adjectives and {-akT)i} is to some verbs to derive

a set of well structured adverbs. The following examples of complex adverbs

of manner could be seen.

7.4.1.1 {-kT)i}

Root Adjective Derived Adverb

M a i/ ‘good’ /bhal-kT)i/ ‘well’

/dhunija/ ‘beautiful’ /dhunija-kT)i/ ‘beautifully’

/p o ripati/ ‘neat’ /p o ripati-kT) i/ ‘neatly’

7.4.1.2 Assamese forms quite a few reduplicated adverbs of manner of

which each constitute is independently meaningless but they are meaningful

when reduplicated. Both together form a compound and take {-kDi} at the

end. The following example of reduplicated adverbs of manner could be

seen.

/amon-zimon k"Oi/ ‘pensively’

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/khok khok k7)i/ ‘tumultuously’

7.4.1.3 {-ak"01}

Verb Adverb

/phur/ ‘walk’ /phur-akTu/ ‘being prepared to walk’

/xo/ ‘sleep’ /xo> xu-w-ak7)i/ ‘being prepared sleep’

7.4.1.4 {-i}

Some adverbs of manner are also derived from nouns, adjectives

and verbs by adverbial suffixe {-i}. The following example could be seen.

Noun Adverb

/xTimul/ ‘in total’ /x'Omul-i/ ‘totally’

/bhitor/ ‘inside’ /bhitor-i/ ‘internally’

► Adjective Adverb

/kssa/ ‘raw’ /kssa-i/ ‘in a raw state’

/ene/ ‘like this’ /ene-i/ ‘for nothing’

Verb Adverb

/xuka/ ‘dry’ /xuka-i/ ‘being dried up’

/randh/ ‘cook’ /randh-i/ ‘being cooked’

7.4.1.5 {-e}

Some adverbs of manner are also derived from adjective by suffix

{-e}. The following example could be seen.

Adjective Adverb

/gopon/ ‘secret’ /gopon-e/ ‘secretly’

/nirob/ ‘silent’ /nirob-e/ ‘silently’

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7.4.1.6 {-ai}

Some adverbs o f manner are also derived form nouns and adjectives

by suffixing {-ai}. Assamese construct a large number o f reduplicated adverbs

o f manner, o f which each constituent is indepently meaningless but meaningful

when reduplicated by suffixing {-ai}. The root words form some o f them are

onomatopoetic words. The following example could be seen.

N oun Adverb

/beg/ ‘speed” /beg-ai/ ‘speedily’

Adiective Adverb

/b o h a l/ ‘w ide5 /bohol-ai/ ‘w iden’

/p utol/ ‘thin, length’ /putol-ai/ ‘thinly’

Reduplicated words Adverb

/d a p d a p / ‘the sound o f /d ap d a-ai/ ‘suddenly with

flame’ forceful flam e’.
/hur hur/ ‘loud sound o f /hur hur-ai/ ‘with a loud sound
pouring w ater’ o f pouring w ater’
7.4.2 Adverb o f Duration-Cum-Repeatation

A limited number o f adverbs o f durability are derived from verbs

by suffixing {-i}, {-te}, {-ai} and {-6} and then the whole construction is

reduplicated. It may be noted that reduplication is also a part o f adverb

formation. The following example could be seen.

7.4.2.1 {-i} -

Verb Adverb

/olom a/ ‘hang’ /oloma-i olom a-i/ ‘by repeating the

process o f hanging’
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/darj/ ‘raise’ /dar|-i dar^-i/ ‘by repeating the

process o f raising’

7 .4 .2.2{-ai}

Verb Adverb
/porh/ ‘read’ /porh-ai porh-ai/ ‘repeating the
process to teaching’
/xo/ ‘sleep’ /xo >xu -ai xu-ai/ ‘repeating the

propess of sleeping’.

7.4.2.3 {-6}

Verb Adverb

/ah/ ‘come’ /ah-o ah-o/ ‘about to come’

dl cl
/kand/ ‘cry’ /kar^o karfo/ ‘about to cry’

7.4.2.4 Some adverbs of duration-cum-repeatition are derived from noun

by suffixing {-e}. The following examples could be seen

Noun Adverb

/mon/ ‘mind’ /mon-e mon-e/ ‘silently’

/bhitor/ ‘internal’ /bhitar-e bhitor-e/ ‘internally’

7.4.2.5 Sometimes Assamese derives a few adverbs o f duplication without

repeating from noun by suffixing {-ete} and using a post position {-poti}, {-

ete} is an extension o f {-e} encountered earlier and {poti} is a contracted

form o f /proti/ ‘per’ and it occurs after the root form obtains the adverbial

form in {-e}. the following example could be seen

{-te}
/beg/ ‘speed’ /beg-e-te/ ‘soon’
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{-poti}

/mah/ ‘month’ /mah-e-poti/ ‘per month’

7.4.3 Adverb of Action Comparison

Assamese possesses a special kind o f complex adverbs which

modify the action of the main verbs by bringing the comparison with another

verb. These adverbs could be called adverb of Action comparison adverb.

The adverbial derivational suffix {-adi} is suffixed to the verb root with which

the other action is compared and the derived forms express the comparison

between two actions.

The following example could be seen.

Verb Adverb

/dhor/ ‘catch’ /dhor-adi/ ‘as one catches’

/ghur/ ‘rotate’ /ghur-adi/ ‘as one rotates’

/ur/ ‘fly’ /ur-adi/ ‘as one flies’

7.4.4 Adverbs of Frequency

The complex forms that refer to the frequency of occurrence of the

actions of the verbs are called adverbs of frequency. The adverbial derivational

suffix {-Du} and {-e} are suffixed to the noun roots and the derived forms

express the frequency of the actions. The following example of adverb of

frequency could be seen.

!-T0u}

Noun Adverb

/nit/ ‘day’ /nit-Du/ ‘daily’

/din/ ‘day’ /din-Du/ ‘daily’

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{-e}
/b o so r/‘year’ /bosor-e/ ‘yearly’

/mah/ ‘month’ /mah-e/ ‘monthly’

7.4.5 Adverb o f Sequence

The complex verb forms of adverbs that refer to the time sequence

of the action of the verbs in the sentence are called adverb of sequence. The

adverbial suffix {-ol'Di} is suffixed to the noun to express time sequence

over a period, not point of time. Its allomorph is {-l"Oi}generally end in a

vowel to refer to the future time sequence. The following example could be

seen.

{ o tt)i}

Noun Adverb

/ag/ ‘front’ /ag-olooi/ ‘in future’

/pis/ ‘back’ /pis-olt)i/ ‘in past’

{-loi}

/kali/ ‘yesterday’ /kali-loi/ ‘tomorrow’

/porohi/ ‘day before yesterday’ /porohi-lo i/ ‘day after tomorrow’

7.4.6 The adverbial derivative suffix {-ote} which has an allomorph ,

{-te} are suffixed to the noun and adjectives, {-te} is suffixed to the noun to

express time sequence in terms of a particular point of time and {-te} is

suffixed to adjectives to express facts. The following examples of adverbs of

facts could be seen.

{-ote}

/ag/ ‘front’ /ag-ote/ ‘just front’

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/pis/ ‘back’ /pis-ote/ ‘just back’

{-te }

/misa/ ‘false’ /misa-te/ ‘for nothing’

{-e} It is suffixed to the noun root to express time sequence of the

action of the verb and then the whole construction is repeated. The following

example could be seen.

Noun Adverb

/pis/ ‘back’ /pis-e pis-e/ ‘just after’

/ag/ ‘front’ /ag-e ag-e/ ‘just front’

7.4.7 Complex or Derived Adverbs derived by prefixation.

Adverb of Duration

Assamese derives a few adverbs of duration from nouns by

prefixation {a-} and {ore-}. These forms show adjectival function. The

following example could be seen.

{a-}
Noun Adverb

/zibon/ ‘life’ /a-zibon/ ‘life long’

/moron/ ‘death’ /a-raoron/ ‘until death’

{ore-}

/zibon/ ‘life’ /ore-zibon/ ‘whole life’

/rati/ ‘night’ /ore-rati/ ‘whole night’

7.4.8 Complex or derived Adverb divided by prefixation as well as

suffixation.

7.4.8.1 Phrasal Adverb

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There are some phrasal adverbs that refer to the manner of

accomplishment of the action of the verbs. Such adverbial phrases are made

up of some adjectives and some nouns that follow and adverbial marker {-e}

is suffixed to the noun. The following example of phrasal adverbs could be

seen.

Adjective Adverb

/bhodro/ ‘gentle’ /bhodro-bhab-e/ ‘politely’

/nomro/ ‘mild’ /nomro-bhab-e/ ‘gentlemanly’

7.4.8.2 Compound Adverbs

Some compound adverbs of manner that refer to value judgement

are derived from adjective by suffixing {-dore} which is a morpheme. In all

practical purposes, /-dore/ substitute / bhab-e/. The following examples could

be seen

{-dore}

/bhal/ ‘good’ /bhal-dore/ ‘well’

/tene/ ‘this’ /tene-dore/ Tike this’

7.5 Adverbs in Boro.

Adverbs in Boro are also those forms that modify the action of the

verb. In other words adverbs in Boro describe the manner, time and place of

accomplishment of the action of the verbs. They do not have a fixed place of

occurrence in the sentence. The adverbs in Boro could generally occur in all

the three positions; that is initial, medial and final. The following example

could be seen.
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/gabctjn phojigojn/ ‘(I/you/he/she) will come tomorrow.’

/mt»|zarj(i|i phorai/ ‘(you will) read well’.

/be khojlc*lma gazrithar/ ‘this pen is entirely bad’.

When the adverb occur in the final position in a sentence the

adverbial markers are infixed in between verb stem/adverb stem and tense

marker as could be seen in the last example above.

7.5.1 Adverbs may be divided as regular and irregular. Regular adverbs

are derived from verb bases and are capable o f receiving a kind of

characteristic inflectional suffix. Irregular adverbs may have nominal or

adjectival correlations and they do not require the kind of characteristic

inflectional suffix. Adverbs as distinct modifiers of verbs are not many in the

language.

7.5.2 The derivation of regular adverbs shows usually the process of

prefixation as in the case of adjectival derivation. A considerable number of

adverbs are underivable.

The only regular inflectional suffix o f adverbs is {-c*lj} : Example

could be seen as follows -

/molzaijMj/in a fine manner’.
/gahamojj/ ‘in a good manner’, ‘well’.
/gazriofj/ ‘badly’, ‘in a bad manner’.
Irregular adverbs are many; they may imply the element of time,

place, manner, quality of the related verbs.

A considerable number of nominal formations including nouns and

pronouns associated with the locative case indicating suffix may function as

adverbs; example could be seen as follows -

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/khathiaw/ ‘near’ {-aw locative indicating suffix)

/beaw/ ‘here’
Pronouns used with adverbial correlations; e.g.
/okhali/ ‘several / some days ago’
/mabla/ ‘when’
/deglaj/ ‘this year’
- The numeral classifier {khon-} with quantifiers or numeral suffixes

etc. may form irregular adverbs; e.g.

/khonse/ ‘once’ (/-se/ ‘one’)

/khon n&|i/ ‘twice’ (/-noli/ ‘two’)

A considerable number of easily underivable adverbs are used in

Boro; e.g.

/gc*|khrc*|j/ ‘speedily’

/lasojj las&lj/ ‘slowly’

7.6 Classification of Adverbs.

From the view point of the forms, the adverbs in Boro could be

classified as under:

_rz
Suffixed Infixed

l ■
I l

Manner Duration cum Adverb of Sequence

Repeatition or place
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7.7 Simple Adverbs.

Like Assamese, simple adverbs in Boro are single morpheme

adverbs. No suffixes or prefixes or infixes are added to simple adverbs.

Depending upon their semantic content they are divide into six classes. They

are as under:

(i) Adverbs of Time.

(ii) Adverbs of Duration.

(iii) Adverbs of Frequency.

(iv) Adverbs of Place

(v) Adverbs of Concession and

(vi) Adverbs of Sequence.

7.7.1 Adverb of Time

The words that refer to the time when the action of the verb takes

place are called adverb of time. The following examples could be seen,

/din&ij/ ‘today’

/dohaj/ ‘that time’

/azikhali/ ‘now-a-days’

7.7.2 Adverb of Manner

The adverbs that refer to the manner o f accomplishment of the

action of the verbs or the effect of the actions of the verbs are called adverbs

of manner. Some adverbs of manner also look like interrogative adverbs.

The following examples could be seen

/mabroli/ ‘how’

/mabla/ ‘when’
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7.7.3 Adverb of Frequency

The words that refer to frequency of occurrence of the action of

the verbs are called adverbs of frequency. The following example could be

seen.

/mablaba/ ‘often’

/ekhonbla/ ‘sometimes’
/

7.7.4 Adverbs of Place

The words that refer to the locus of happening of the action of the

verbs are called adverb of place. Like Assamese such adverbs in Boro are

basically bound morphemes and they undergo inflection for allative, genitive

and locative cases. The following examples could be seen.

Adverb-root Allative Genitive Locative

{b£4i-> /bali-sim/ /boli-ni/ /bc4i-ao/

‘there’ ‘to there’ ‘of there’ ‘there’

7.7.5 Adverb of Concession

The words that refer to some concession o f conditions are called

adverb of concession. They are very few in number. The following example

could be seen.

/oblabcj/ ‘still’

7.7.6 Adverb of Sequence

The words that indicate time in terms of the sequence in which

actions suggested by the verbs take place are called adverb of sequence. The

following examples could be seen.

/sigar)/ ‘before’
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/nathaj/ ‘but"

/agojl/ ‘before’

7.8. Complex Adverbs.

Complex adverbs are derived form words o f different classes by

suffixation and infixation. They could be divided into three classes. These

are as under :

(i) Adverb o f Manner.

(ii) Adverb o f Duration -cum-Repeatition and

(iii) Adverb o f Sequence

7.8.1 Adverb o f Manner

This kind o f adverb o f manner are marked by {-u|i}. Boro derived

a set o f well structural adverbs from adjectives and verbs by suffixing {-oji}.

The following example could be seen.

{-aji}

Adjective root Adverb

/mc*Jzaq/ ‘good’ /mojzaqcT/ ‘w ell’

/som aina/ ‘beautiful’ /somainaoji/ ‘beautifully’

Verb root Adverb

/mojsa/ ‘dance’ /majsaoli/ ‘prepared to dance’

/za/ ‘eat’ /zau|i/ ‘prepared to eat’

Boro also constructs quite a few reduplicated adverbs o f manner

o f which each constitute is independently meaningless but meaningful when

reduplicated. The following example could be seen.

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/bur|/ ‘tell’ /bur]£t|i buqt*|i/ ‘to talk constantly’

/g&lkhro|i/ ‘speed’ /go|khro|i gojkhrc)i/ ‘speedily’

7.8.2 Adverb of Duration-cum-Repeatition

A limited number of adverbs of duration-cum-repeatition are

derived from verbs by suffixing {-a|i}; e.g.

Verb Adverb

/phoraj/ ‘read’ /phoraj-oji phoraj-o|i/ ‘by repeating

the process of reading’

/da/ ‘make’ /daj-oji daj-cgi/ ‘by repeating the

process of making’

Some adverbs o f duration are derived from noun; the whole

construction is used repeatedly. The following example could be seen.

Noun Adverb

/gojst»j/ ‘mind’ /gc*|sc*l gt*|s(*jjc»|i/ ‘silently’

7.8.3 Adverb of Sequence

The complex forms that refer to the time sequence of the action of

the verbs in the sentence are called adverb of sequence. The adverbial marker

{-sim} is suffixed to the simple adverb to refer to future time sequence as

well as past time sequence. The following example could be seen :

/gab&ln/ ‘tomorrow’ /gabo|n-sim/ ‘by tomorrow’

/m&jija/ ‘yesterday’ /mc»jija-sim/ ‘by yesterday’

/sompha|r/ ‘day after /sompho]r-sim/ ‘by day after

tomorrow’ tomorrow’

7.8.3.1 Such adverbial constructions express time sequence of the action

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of the verb and the whole construction is repeated. The following example

could be seen :

/g&ikhroji/ ‘early’ /gc»|khr&|i gojkhrc*ji/ ‘just early’,

/un/ ‘behind’ /un un-zo|r|/’just behind’

7.9 Concluding Remarks.

7.9.1 The Adverbs in Assamese and Boro are by and large comparable

in every respect. In both the languages adverbs manifest some general pattern

of classification. Besides, adverbs in both the languages enjoy a high degree

of freedom o f occurrence; they could occur in any position in the sequence.

However there are a few areas where adverbs behave differently in the two

languages.

7.9.2 The contrasts in between the two languages could be enumerated

as under:

i) As derives adverbs mostly from adjectives, verbal nouns and

other simple adverbs and rarely from verbs, (adverbs of comparison is a

together different and discussed below) But Boro could derive adverbs from

verbs too (sec. 8.29).

ii) The morphological process involved for deriving compounds

in Assamese are suffixation and prefixation. But in Boro the process is only

suffixation and never prefixation.

iii) Adverbs of comparison is a special feature of Assamese (see

sec. 7.4.3). This is not traceable in Boro.

7.9.3 Thus it appears that because of the overall pattern of similarity,

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the mastering of the pattern of adverb-formation in one language shall not be

difficult for the speaker of the other language. At the same time these does

not seen to be any degree of convergence in morphological structure of the

adverbs in either language except few sporadic borrowings such as /gole

gole/ ‘every time’ in Boro. These seem to have come from Assamese.