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ADVERBS derived from the possessive inflection

Adverbs ending in "s" formed from the possessive inflection of Nouns. Some adverbs thus formed are still in common use, such as "needs" = "of necessity."

“Needs must I like it well.
”

“There must be needs a like proportion.
”

But we find also in Shakespeare:

“He would have tickled you other gates than he did.
”

i.e. "in another gate or fashion."

In this way (compare "sideways," "lengthways," &c.) we must probably explain

“Come a little nearer this ways.
”

And

“Come thy ways.
”

Compare also the expression in our Prayer-book: “Any ways afflicted, or distressed.” Others explain this as a corruption of "wise."

"Days" is similarly used:

“'Tis but early days.
”

i.e. "in the day," as the Germans use "morgens." Compare "now-a-days," and N. P. 179, “at noondaies.”

A similar explanation might suggest itself for

“Is Warwick friends with Margaret?
”

; A. and C. ii. 5. 44. But "I am friends" is not found in E. E., and therefore probably it is simply a confusion of two constructions, "I am friend to him" and "we are friends."

A Shakespearean Grammar. Edwin Abbott Abbott. London and New York. Macmillan and Company. 1870.

NSF, NEH: Digital Libraries Initiative, Phase 2 provided support for entering this text.

This text was converted to electronic form by professional data entry and has been proofread to a medium level of accuracy.

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