Locative adverb
Encyclopedia
A locative adverb is a type of adverb
that refers to a location, or to a combination of a location and a relation to that location. Generally, a locative adverb is semantically equivalent to a prepositional phrase involving a locative or directional preposition. In English, for example, "homeward" is a locative adverb, specifying a location "home" and a relation "toward" (in this case a direction), and is equivalent to the phrase "towards home". The relation need not be a direction, but any relation that can be specified by a locational preposition such as "to, from, in, at, near, toward, away from, etc." For example, the word "home" is itself a locative adverb in a sentence like "I took him home today" or "I found him home today"; in the former case, it is equivalent to the phrase "to home", and in the latter to the phrase "at home".
Pro-form
locative adverbs generally form a closed class
and are particularly important in a language. Examples in English are "there" (= "to/at that place"), "hence" (= "from this place"). As can be seen from these examples, the anaphoric locative adverbs generally have a close relationship with the demonstrative
s (in English, "this" and "that"). They are also usually closely related to locative interrogative adverbs; in English, there is even a formal relationship between e.g. "where/there/here" and "whence/thence/hence".
Some anaphoric locatives in English:
A fuller table is in the article on pro-form
.
Adverb
An adverb is a part of speech that modifies verbs or any part of speech other than a noun . Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives , clauses, sentences, and other adverbs....
that refers to a location, or to a combination of a location and a relation to that location. Generally, a locative adverb is semantically equivalent to a prepositional phrase involving a locative or directional preposition. In English, for example, "homeward" is a locative adverb, specifying a location "home" and a relation "toward" (in this case a direction), and is equivalent to the phrase "towards home". The relation need not be a direction, but any relation that can be specified by a locational preposition such as "to, from, in, at, near, toward, away from, etc." For example, the word "home" is itself a locative adverb in a sentence like "I took him home today" or "I found him home today"; in the former case, it is equivalent to the phrase "to home", and in the latter to the phrase "at home".
Pro-form
Pro-form
A pro-form is a type of function word or expression that stands in for another word, phrase, clause or sentence where the meaning is recoverable from the context...
locative adverbs generally form a closed class
Closed class
In linguistics, a closed class is a word class to which no new items can normally be added, and that usually contains a relatively small number of items. Typical closed classes found in many languages are adpositions , determiners, conjunctions, and pronouns.Contrastingly, an open class offers...
and are particularly important in a language. Examples in English are "there" (= "to/at that place"), "hence" (= "from this place"). As can be seen from these examples, the anaphoric locative adverbs generally have a close relationship with the demonstrative
Demonstrative
In linguistics, demonstratives are deictic words that indicate which entities a speaker refers to and distinguishes those entities from others...
s (in English, "this" and "that"). They are also usually closely related to locative interrogative adverbs; in English, there is even a formal relationship between e.g. "where/there/here" and "whence/thence/hence".
Some anaphoric locatives in English:
Demonstrative/Interrogative | "At" Locative | "To" Locative | "From" Locative |
---|---|---|---|
What | Where | Whither | Whence |
That | There | Thither | Thence |
This | Here | Hither | Hence |
A fuller table is in the article on pro-form
Pro-form
A pro-form is a type of function word or expression that stands in for another word, phrase, clause or sentence where the meaning is recoverable from the context...
.