adverbify

English

Etymology

From adverb +‎ -ify.

Verb

adverbify (third-person singular simple present adverbifies, present participle adverbifying, simple past and past participle adverbified)

1. (rare) To convert (a word that is not an adverb) into an adverb.
   • 1722, [John] Ozell, “The Introduction”, in Common-Prayer Not Common Sense, in Several Places of the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, Latin, and Greek Translations of the English Liturgy. , London: J. Peele, , page 11:

     But the Accent over it Adverbifies it with a Witneſs, and pins it down beyond Contradiction an Adverb, by annihilating it as an Adjective.

   • 1801, [Charles-Michel] de l’Epée, The Method of Educating the Deaf and Dumb; Confirmed by Long Experience, London: George Cooke, ; T. Cadell, Jun. and W. Davies, ; Robson, ; Harding, ; and Longman and Rees, , pages 27 (chapter IV (), article the fourth ()), 43 (chapter VI ()), 58, 60 (chapter X ()), and 77 (chapter XIV ()):

     When only is uſed adverbially, the ſign for an adjective adverbified, as explained in the chapter of adverbs, may be ſuperadded. […] If greatly is to be expreſſed, we elevate the right hand a convenient height; then place it over the left hand, which is the ſign for adjective, to ſignify great: but to adverbify this adjective, we tranſport our right hand to our ſide, becauſe an adverb is placed beside a verb, to modify it, as our right hand is now placed againſt our ſide. […] Since the operation or diſpoſition is the ſame, there muſt neceſſarily be the ſame radical ſign, to which are joined other ſigns to indicate in verbs, the difference of their perſons, their numbers, their tenſes, and their modes, and in nouns, whether ſubſtantive or adjective, that of their caſes, their numbers and their genders; and to characterize nouns adjective ſubſtantified or adverbified. […] Is amiably to be expreſſed? I make the radical ſign, and the ſign for Adverb (poſsible or neceſſary according to the ſenſe of the phraſe); I add a ſign announcing that there is no conteſtation; after that I put my hand upon my right ſide, to make it underſtood that it is an adjective adverbified, as we have mentioned in page 43. […] With regard to words ſtanding in relationſhip, faith is the noun ſubſtantive, belief is the ſubſtantified participle: credible and incredible are two adjectives in ible (ſee page 13), incredibly is the ſecond of theſe adjectives adverbified.

     Translating French adverbifier.

   • 1960, A[lfred] L[ouis] Kroeber, George William Grace, The Sparkman Grammar of Luiseno, Berkeley, Calif., Los Angeles, Calif.: University of California Press, page 127:

     -kun times, adverbifying

   • 1985, Constance T. Fischer, “Writing Individualized Reports”, in Individualizing Psychological Assessment, Monterey, Calif.: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, →ISBN, part two (Report Writing and Sample Reports), chapter section “Writing to Individualize”, page 135:

     After stopping at the dangerous noun or classificatory adjective, ask yourself what you have seen the client do that has been collapsed into the noun. Then describe that doing; verbify, adverbify! Describe the comportment directly; for example, “During the interview Sue smoked a dozen cigarettes, fidgeted with a medallion, and shifted posture every few minutes,” or “She answered my questions, all the while nervously smoking, fidgeting, or shifting in her chair.”

   • 1989 second quarter, Ken Lawrence, “Adjectively Adverbified”, in The Philatelic Communicator, Writers Unit No. 30 of the American Philatelic Society, volume 22, number 2 (whole 84), →ISSN, page 17:

     Adjectively Adverbified

   • 1994 March 20, Tim McDaniel, “Ellisif's statement on the suit”, in rec.org.sca (Usenet):

     I wouldn't mention it but for the wonderful number of different forms. It was verbed (transitive too!), adjectivized, and adverbified, and all in period. I love "archedolts"!

   • 2000 January 19, John V Ashby, “WRITEONLINE”, in misc.writing (Usenet):

     >> WORKS, which are stringently selected / > / >Maybe selected according to stringent standards. / > / You don't like stringent being adverbified?

   • 2000 September 21, Martien Verbruggen, “Candidate for the top ten perl mistakes list”, in comp.lang.perl.misc (Usenet):

     Hmm.. English isn't my first language, which is probably why to me 'seldomly' sounds more correct (in the context given before) than 'seldom'. I have the same problem with 'doubtless', which I keep adverbifying to 'doubtlessly', resulting in slaps on the wrist from language purists.

   • 2002 September 16, Alma Hromic Deckert, “Evil adverbs”, in rec.arts.sf.composition (Usenet):

     otherwise, like most rules, it exists to be broken by people who know how - and there are writers who adverbify notoriously but they are so GOOD that you hardly notice (if you aren't meant to notice) or are giggling helplessly by the end of page three (if you are).

   • 2002 November 17, Dani Emers, “Consolation // MikeB”, in alt.arts.poetry.comments (Usenet):

     'slightly' feels unnecessary, and breaks the feel of 'tense and quivering'. You can post-adverbify if you like, but I'd still choose a different adverb to go after 'quivering', I think.

   • 2002 December 26, “ Random Bits”, in rec.arts.sf.written.robert-jordan (Usenet):

     I maintain, still, that stars are the only appropriate tree topping. Angels are too tweely (can "twee" be adverbified that way?) religious, and bows are just plain ol' dull. Stars, though, are the metaphorical shit.

Synonyms

• adverbialize
• adverbize

Related terms

• adjectify
• nounify
• substantify
• verbify