Tsakonian Digital VaultAdverbs in Tsakonian are used to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about place, time, manner, and quantity. While many Tsakonian adverbs are cognates with Standard Modern Greek (SMG), they often preserve archaic (Doric) features or exhibit unique phonetic developments. For the phonological rules that explain the sound differences, see 2. Phonology. For Doric vocabulary retention in general, see 1.3 Doric heritage.
Categories of Adverbs
Tsakonian adverbs are traditionally categorized into four main groups based on their meaning (Kostakis, 1951).
Locative Adverbs (Τοπικά)
These adverbs indicate position or direction. Many are preceded by the preposition από (from/by), which has become fused or semi-fused with the adverbial stem.
| Tsakonian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| από πάν᾽ (apó pán’) | up, above | |
| από κάτ᾽ (apó kát’) | down, below | |
| από πᾶ (apó paâ) | from here | From Doric πῇ. |
| απ᾿ ἔσ᾽ (ap’ és’) | inside | |
| από τσά (apó tsá) | from there | |
| αμπρέστα (ambrésta) | in front, before | |
| αποπίσ᾽ (apopís’) | behind | |
| αοῦ (aoú) | elsewhere | |
| δαδά (dadá) | right here | |
| ετσά / τσειά (etsá / tsiá) | there | From εκειά > ετσειά. |
| τάσου (tásou) | inside | |
| τάτσου (tátsou) | outside | |
| ψά / ψέ (psá / psé) | where | Interrogative. |
Temporal Adverbs (Χρονικά)
These adverbs express the time or frequency of an action.
| Tsakonian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ακόμη (akómi) | still, yet | |
| αλλασκζ̌ία (allaskzhía) | day after tomorrow | Northern; also τάν άβα μέρα in Southern. |
| αποούρα (apoúra) | long ago | From Medieval απώρας. |
| αδά / δαδά (adá / dadá) | now | |
| από δάρα (apó dára) | from now on | |
| αργά (argá) | late, in the evening | |
| έρκενε (érkene) | early | From Turkish erken. |
| ολημερνέ (olimerné) | all day long | |
| οψά (opsá) | yesterday | From SMG οψέ. |
| οφέτ᾽ (ofét’) | this year |
Modal Adverbs (Τροπικά)
Modal adverbs describe the manner in which an action is performed.
| Tsakonian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| αβάκα (aváka) | stealthily, quietly | |
| αγάλια (agália) | slowly | |
| ἄκουμπέτι (akoumbéti) | finally, at last | From Arabic/Turkish akibet. |
| αλαφρά (alafrá) | lightly | |
| αλλοίου (alloíou) | otherwise | From Medieval αλλέως. |
| κρουφά (kroufá) | secretly | |
| τσὰ / τρά (tsá / trá) | so, thus | |
| τσάου / ψιὰ (tsáou / psiá) | how | Interrogative. |
Quantity Adverbs (Ποσοτικά)
These adverbs express degree or amount.
| Tsakonian | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| από οκατί (apó okatí) | almost, nearly | |
| κούρκουα (koúrkoua) | full to the brim | |
| μπάρεμι (mbáremi) | at least | From Turkish bari. |
| ολότελα (olótela) | completely | |
| πάσου (pásou) | very, much | Unique Tsakonian form. |
| πολύ (polý) | much, many | |
| μοναχού (monachoú) | only | |
| λίχ᾽-λίχ᾽ (lìch’-lích’) | little by little |
Formation and Composition
Adverbial Compounds
Tsakonian allows for the formation of adverbs through composition, although this is less common than in other categories like nouns or verbs (Galanou, ca. 2018).
- Adjective + Adverb: Compounds where the second component is an adverb and a complete word (e.g., ξανατσυλώ where ξανά functions as a prefix-like adverbial component).
- Adverb + Verb: A productive category (e.g., καταδιψοῦ “to be very thirsty”, where κατά functions as an intensive adverb).
Comparison
The comparison of adverbs in Tsakonian typically follows the patterns of adjectives. Comparative forms often end in -ύτερα or -ύτερου, similar to SMG but with phonetic adjustments (Kostakis, 1951).
- Positive: ατσέ (large/greatly)
- Comparative: ατσύτερα (larger/more greatly)
- Superlative: ο τελεία ατσέ (the most large/greatly)