In times past, formalists or early grammarians described word classes or parts of speech with regard to forms. Considering these somewhat inadequate generalisations, nouns are said to end in -ion (correction), verbs in -ise/ize (penalise), adjectives in -ive (instructive) and adverbs in -ly (gently). Observably, such generalisations have resulted in the erroneous use of some words. Upon taking that into substantial consideration, I have penned this treatise to shed light on errors that are associated with the use of some -ly words by Nigerians.
First up, the commonest of the widespread misrepresentations is the word “severally”, which is often used to mean “several times”. For exactitude’s sake, this word primarily means “separately”, “independently”, “individually” or “one by one”. Someone can, for instance, say that, “People are severally liable for fraud”.
This denotes that they are individually liable for their misconduct. Although the Oxford English Dictionary (online) has extended the meaning to include “several times”, it is pertinent to note that the foregoing is specifically designated as Nigerian English. By implication, inasmuch as we cannot say the usage is downright inappropriate, it is advisable to steer clear of it when engaging the global audience. Besides, the general reader should endeavour to deploy “severally” according to its original and globally recognised meaning, in consonance with its usage among legal practitioners in Nigeria.
What is more, while sitting standard examinations of local, regional, national or international repute, it is better to write, “I warned Johnson ‘several times’ to quit his riotous lifestyle”, than pen, “I warned Johnson ‘severally’ to quit his riotous lifestyle”. As an aside, it is pertinent to mention that the word “several” is not synonymous with “many”. Therefore, to visit a place several times infers visiting there more than a few times — but not many times. In point of fact, the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary describes several as being more than two but not very many.
Another -ly word that is commonly used by Nigerians, which is literally non-existent in standard English, is “installmentally”. This word is often used in place of the standard phrase, “in/by instalments”. On that score, you are supposed to pay a loan by/in instalments — not installmentally. Along these lines, it is equally paramount to note that the use of ‘outrightly’ and “downrightly” are totally inconsistent with the provisions of standard English. Either as adverbs or adjectives, “outright” and “downright” remain unalterable.
For this very reason, it behoves you to say: “My car was sold (verb) outright (adverb) to Demola” — not “My car was sold outrightly to Demola”. In the same sense, we have: “This comment of yours is downright rude” — not “This comment of yours is downrightly rude”.
As often as not, too, the word “conclusively” is misinterpreted by many second-language users of English to mean “in conclusion”. To set the record straight, “conclusively” is used in standard English to mean “without any doubt” (convincingly) or “once and for all” (decisively).
Hence, one can say that, “It is impossible for anyone to conclusively (without any doubt) prove that his or her religion is the best” and “The issue was resolved conclusively (once and for all)”. On the other hand, “in conclusion” is synonymous with “finally”, “lastly” or “to sum up”. Specifically, it is used to introduce the last item in a speech or a treatise. By reason of this, an individual who is on the verge of rounding off his vote of thanks is supposed to say, “In conclusion, I appreciate everyone that graced today’s occasion”.
The second part of this article seeks to holistically examine -ly words that belong to other word classes and are erroneously adjudged as adverbs, given the generalisation of forms. Just like nouns such as family and homily end in -ly, so do adjectives such as rascally, cowardly, motherly, fatherly and so on. Based on this irrevocable submission, such words should be applied to describe naming words (nouns and pronouns); not action words (verbs). Illustratively, therefore, users of English should desist from the use of expressions such as:
1) He behaves cowardly.
2) He talks rascally.
3) My sister cares so motherly.
In the above-mentioned example sentences, the adjectives (cowardly, rascally and motherly) are erroneously made to describe the verbs, behave, talks and cares, respectively. By aptly using these words as adjectives, the ideas in the sentences above can be expressed thus:
1) He is cowardly (Like adjectives do, cowardly is correctly deployed herein to describe a person; not an action).
2) He has a rascally attitude (In this context, rascally is deployed in qualifying the noun, attitude; not a verb).
3) My sister has a motherly behaviour (In this circumstance, motherly describes the noun, behaviour).
In conclusion, I can conclusively affirm that my avid readers have severally learnt the appropriate usages of several words in this article, without having to read it several times.
