A Dictionary of Cont..

nouns as adverbs 326
the construction is standard literary English and
can be used on the most solemn occasions, as
in we are not now that strength which in old
days moved heaven and earth.
Today, words of this kind are sometimes
placed before the noun they qualify instead of
after it, as in do you like this color car?. This
has been true of age and size, as in what age
child and any size box, for almost two hundred
years. But the free use of this construction, as
seen in this type engine, uny style dress, is very
recent. It is heard too often in the speech of
well educated people to be condemned. But it
is not yet used in literary English. And it makes
some older people very unhappy.
mnms as adverbs. Any adverbial idea can be expressed
by a prepositional phrase, as manner is
in he worked with a will and place in he worked
in the basement. But a noun can often function
as an adverb without first being made part of a
prepositional phrase. If the common form of a
noun is used, it is called an adverbial accusative.
This may be either singular or plural. If the
noun is clearly singular but nevertheless takes
a final s, it is called an adverbial genitive.
1. A noun can be used as an adverb of extent,
that is, as a word which shows “how much,”
‘as bit in woit a bit and lot in he is a lot better.
Five dollars is an adverb of extent in it cost five
dollars. In expressions such as five dollars a
lesson, twice a year, ten cents a piece, the final
noun is also called an adverb of extent. Actually,
the a used here once meant in and these
are remnants of prepositional phrases similar
to the words alive, asleep, awake, afloat. (See
adjectives.) The is sometimes used instead of a
in expressions of this kind, as in six dollars the
pair. This is a late development, influenced by
French. It is acceptable, but a is preferred.
A noun used as an adverb of extent is ordinarily
an adverbial accusative, as way is in a long
way 00. In it is a long ways off, the form ways
is an adverbial genitive. This construction is no
longer used in Great Britain and some grammarians
say that it is no longer standard anywhere.
But it was once literary English in
England and is still standard in the United
States. It is used by many well educated people
and by some of our best writers. There is no
feeling today that this is a genitive form and
an apostrophe is never used here.
2. A noun can be used as an adverb of
manner, that is, as a word which shows “how.”
We may say send it air mail, travel pullman,
don’t act that way. Nouns are used in this way
more freely in the United States than they are
in Great Britain, but the construction is natural
English and needs no apology.
3. Nouns are not ordinarily used to show
“place.” They may be used to show distance, as
miles in five miles . . . the sacred river ran, but
this is considered an adverb of extent rather
than of place. The verb leave takes an object
which means “place from which,” as in leave
town, leave school, but this is not truly an adverb
construction.
Words which represent the points of the
compass, and the single word home can be used
adverbially in the sense of “place to which,” as
in swift hoofs thundering south and home they
brought her warrior dead. But we cannot say
ofice they go or they run school. Nouns are
used to show “place at or in which” in a few
expressions, such as he smote them hip and
thigh and we painted it top and bottom. But in
general, nouns cannot be used in this way. We
cannot say I mm staying ofJce,
In the United States the word home is used
to show “place at which” as well as “place to
which,” as in we stayed honze all day. This is
not acceptable in Great Britain where an at is
required, but it is standard English in this
country. The noun place is also used in the
United States to show “place to which,” as in
we are going some place tonight, and “place at
or in which,” as in I have looked every place.
These constructions too are standard in the
United States.
4. Nouns are used freely to show “extent of
time,” as night in and trains all night groan
on the rails, and years in wedded we have been
these twice ten tedious years. These may be
classed as adverbs of extent or as adverbs of
time. Nouns may also be used to show “time
at which,” as in I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last
night and tomorrow I shall miss you less.
An adverbial genitive is used to show “repeated
time,” as in he works nights. This construction
is condemned by some grammarians
and is no longer standard in Great Britain,
where it is replaced by a prepositional phrase,
as in he works at night. But it is still acceptable,
and widely used, in the United States.
nouns of multitude. See group names and col-
Iective nouns.
novel. See new.
novice. See amateur.
now. This word is primarily an adverb of time
but it may also be used as an adverbial conjunction,
as in but, oh! the heavy change, now
thou art gone. Some grammarians claim that
this is improper. That is, they insist that the
conjunction that is required in a sentence of
this kind. But now has been used to introduce
a clause from the earliest times and by most of
the great writers of English.
noway; noways; nowise. Both -way forms are
standard English in such constructions as he
was nowuy (or noways) to blame. In the United
States nowuy is preferred to nowuys. The form
nowise is also standard but it is not often used
in this country.
nowhere; nowheres. Nowhere is the only acceptable
form in written English. In the United States
nowheres is often heard in the speech of well
educated people, but it does not appear in print.
Nowhere is sometimes used with an unnecessary
that, as in nowhere thut I have been. This
is not as well established as the similar use of
onywhere, but it is acceptable to many educated
people in the United States.
noxious and obnoxious both derive from the
same Latin root meaning harm. Indeed obnoxious
simply is, or was, the word noxious