Chapter 4
The Internal Structure of Words and Processes of Word Formation in English
Exercise 4.3Inflectional versus Derivational Affixes
Is -ly an inflectional or a derivational affix? Like an inflectional affix, it seems to attach to many (though not all) the members of the class of adjective, as in quickly, helpfully, sadly, regretably, softly, sharply, foolishly. If -ly is an inflectional suffix marking the grammatical category adverb, then it should meet the following criteria for inflectional suffixes:
never change the part of speech of a root,
follow, not precede, any derivational suffixes,
affix to virtually any member of the category adjective.
Does -ly meet these criteria? Try to think of examples which violate these principles.
NO: -ly changes the part of speech of the root, deriving adverbs from adjectives:
happily < happy
oddly < odd
strangely < strange
rarely < rarely
loudly < loud
It may also derive adverbs from nouns:
weekly < week
daily < day
yearly < year
It can derive adjectives from nouns or other adjectives:
manly < man
princely < prince
lovely < love
portly < port
sickly < sick
goodly < good
kindly < kind
leisurely < leisure
It may also change the meaning of an adjective or adverb:
hardly/hard lately/late highly/high
NO: -ly normally follows derivational suffixes (adjectivalizers):
| famously | woodenly | usefully |
| foolishly | acceptably |
But -ly may precede certain derivational suffixes:
| manliness | manlier | princeliness |
| loveliness | lovelier | kindliness |
(Since no derivational suffix may be attached to an adverb, we cannot test to see whether adverbializer -ly can be followed by a derivational suffix.)
Although adverbs inflect for comparison (e.g., fast, faster, fastest or late, later, latest), adverbs in -ly form comparison with more and most. Hence, -ly is never followed by an inflection:
| more usefully | *usefullier |
| most usefully | *usefulliest |
(This is accounted for, though, by the fact that -er and -est are generally attached only to monosyllabic words.)
NO: many adverbs are not formed with -ly:
| just | tomorrow | always | here |
| now | then | late | near |
| slow (or slowly) | fast | cheap (or cheaply) | hard |
Furthermore, many adjectives cannot take -ly:
| tall | *tally | Canadian | *Canadianly |
| blue | *bluely | two-toed | *two-toedly |
| little | *littly | this, my | *thisly, *myly |
(It seems that when adjectives describe an intrinsic quality, they cannot take -ly because they cannot modify verbal action.)