On adverbial word-formation patterns with the prefix poand relations of synonymous units

Abstract

The article examines the potential of the word-formation pattern of derivatives with the prefix po- and the suffixes -оmu(-еmu), -i, as well as the semantic features of adverbs formed from relative and qualitative adjectives. The word-formation meaning ‘manner of action’ in the group of adverbs formed from relative adjectives is realised as a reference comparison: po-zhenski – kak zhenshchina (English like a woman). The limited potential for deriving adverbs from qualitative adjectives is explained by the fact that not all of them form the manner of action meaning. For example, the derivatives po-novomu (English in a new way), po-staromu (English as before), po-prostomu (English in lay terms, simply), and others fully express the corresponding meaning. Adverbs with the dictionary label colloquial do not have a clearly formed meaning and a specific place in the system of qualitative adverbs. The units of the analysed word-formation pattern are also considered together with adverbs belonging to the same word family. The study notes similarities and differences of adverbs with the root prost- such as prosto (English simply, just), po-prostomu (English in lay terms, simply), poprostu (English in simple terms, just), zaprosto (English without ceremony, easily), prosto-naprosto (English simply, nothing less than).