291. Again, many words without _-ly_ have the same form, whether
adverbs or adjectives.
The reason is, that in Old and Middle English, adverbs derived from
adjectives had the ending _-e_ as a distinguishing mark; as,--
If men smoot it with a yerde _smerte_ [If men smote it with a rod
smartly].--CHAUCER.
This _e_ dropping off left both words having the same form.
Weeds were sure to grow _quicker_ in his fields.--IRVING.
O _sweet_ and _far_ from cliff and scar The horns of Elfland
faintly blowing.--TENNYSON.
But he must do his errand _right._--DRAKE
_Long_ she looked in his tiny face.--_Id._
Not _near_ so black as he was painted.--THACKERAY.
In some cases adverbs with _-ly_ are used side by side with those
without _-ly_, but with a different meaning. Such are _most_,
_mostly_; _near_, _nearly_; _even_, _evenly_; _hard_, _hardly_; etc.
[Sidenote: _Special use of_ there.]
292. Frequently the word there, instead of being used adverbially,
merely introduces a sentence, and inverts the usual order of subject
and predicate.
This is such a fixed idiom that the sentence, if it has the verb _be_,
seems awkward or affected without this "_there_ introductory." Compare
these:--
1. _There_ are eyes, to be sure, that give no more admission into
the man than blueberries.--EMERSON.
2. Time was when field and watery cove With modulated echoes
rang.--WORDSWORTH.
HOW TO PARSE ADVERBS
293. In parsing adverbs, give--
(1) The class, according to meaning and also use.
(2) Degree of comparison, if the word is compared.
(3) What word or word group it modifies.
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