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I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this, I need some grammar wizard for this. I'm writing an essay on Portuguese grammar but there's one bit that I've been stuck on.

Im explaining how a locução adverbial can be used to describe nouns. And I emailed Ciberduvidas* with the same question and I know now that they can describe nouns because they are modificadores restritivos. The question I have, and which I've been thinking about for about a day, is how a Locução adverbial can be considered a modificadores restritivo because I'm not sure which of the listed criteria they fall under, namely:

Os elementos que podem funcionar como modificadores restritivos do nome podem ser grupos adjectivais (ii), grupos preposicionais (iii) ou orações subordinadas adjectivas (iv).

Because it doesn't mention "locução adverbial" in that list, I suppose it has to be one of the other ones.

*As locuções adverbiais podem ser empregadas para modificar nomes (substantivos), isto é, podem funcionar como modificadores restritivos, tal como acontece mais geralmente com os adjetivos.

Como se lê, por exemplo, no Dicionário Terminológico, documento de apoio ao ensino da gramática no ensino não superior em Portugal:

«[...] Os elementos que podem funcionar como modificadores restritivos do nome podem ser grupos adjectivais (ii), grupos preposicionais (iii) ou orações subordinadas adjectivas (iv).

Exemplos:

[...]

(ii) Adoro [flores [frescas e coloridas]].

(iii) [O rapaz [de barba]] é meu aluno.

(iv) [Os lobos [que vivem no Parque Peneda-Gerês]] estão em vias de extinção.» (https://dt.dge.mec.pt/index.php?id=n305)

tripleee
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Tim Thomsen
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  • I may be wrong, but I don't think adverbs can modify nouns, though they can modify pronouns, I think. All explanations of adverbs I've seen don't say they can modify nouns. – Schilive Oct 03 '21 at 06:10
  • @Schilive Adverbs cant but a locução adverbial can. For example, in one of the suggested questions I got when submitting my question, someone asked about the locução adverbial "ao vivo". It is used to modify the noun "transmissão" – Tim Thomsen Oct 03 '21 at 08:12
  • Please fix your punctuation and apostrophes. If you are writing a grammar book, you can't do us the honor of writing "can't" instead of "cant" and "I'm". – Lambie Oct 03 '21 at 16:12
  • In English: adverbial phrase, I would say, rather than locution. In Portuguese ao vivo can be an adjective or viewed as an adverbial phrase modifier. Also, restrictive modifier is just a modifier in English: The small children, the big children. Those adjectives are called restrictive in Portuguese.... – Lambie Oct 03 '21 at 17:15
  • I worked hard on this answer so it would be really nice if you responded. – Lambie Oct 04 '21 at 12:23
  • @Lambie Sure, I will be more contentious of my grammar. Although given your comments are rife with errors, one would do well to tread lightly before maligning the grammatical errors of others. – Tim Thomsen Oct 04 '21 at 15:06
  • First, I did not say anything about grammatical errors. I said punctuation and apostrophes. Second, I doubt you mean contentious. Three, please see my new comment under my answer. – Lambie Oct 04 '21 at 20:10

1 Answers1

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Let's look at what a locução adverbial (adverbial phrase) is in Portuguese:

There's a huge list of them by category:

Locução adverbial de tempo: em breve, logo mais, à tarde, à noite, pela manhã, por vezes, de tempos em tempos etc. Locução adverbial de lugar: em cima, por perto, ao lado, à direita, à esquerda, para dentro, para fora etc.
Locução adverbial de afirmação: por certo, sem dúvida, com certeza, na verdade, de fato etc.
Locução adverbial de negação: de forma alguma, de modo algum, de maneira nenhuma etc.
Locução adverbial de modo: às pressas, ao contrário, em silêncio, de cor, às claras, à toa, em geral etc.
Locução adverbial de quantidade: de muito, de pouco, de todo, em excesso etc.

These are taken from o mundo da educação

So, this statement: *As locuções adverbiais podem ser empregadas para modificar nomes (substantivos), isto é, podem funcionar como modificadores restritivos, tal como acontece mais geralmente com os adjetivos.

is a true statement.

So, if you say: "O rapaz à esquerda é meu aluno". à esquerda is considered an adverbial phrase in Portuguese.
OR "As flores [qui estão] de perto parecem frescas e coloridas. Same idea. de perto is considered an adverbial phrase.

OR Os meninos de cima são teimosos.

A modificador restritivo do nome is just a noun adjunct or modifier. Flores pequenas.

**Whereas if you use one of those adverbial phrases with the noun in Portuguese, it is considered an adverbial phrase in Portuguese grammar and not adjectival. The upstairs bedroom in English has upstairs as an adjective. Notice the translation:

O quarto de cima in Portuguese is an adverbial phrase modifying the noun quarto.

It is also um modificador restritivo. So basically, we are dealing with a nomenclature thing. Much of what is called an adverbial phrase in Portuguese would be called adjective or noun adjunct in English.

Well, I guess I muddled through that OK. :) Bear in mind that some adverbial phrases in English can also modify nouns.

Lambie
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  • Thanks! Thats very helpful. Although, I was specifically wondering about how a locução adverbial qualifies as a restrictive modifier given the criteria of what can comprise a restrictive modifier "grupos adjectivais (ii), grupos preposicionais (iii) ou orações subordinadas adjectivas (iv)." And locução adverbial is not on that list. But I emailed them again because it was really bothering me and the answer is that its part of the "grupos adjectivais" – Tim Thomsen Oct 04 '21 at 15:01
  • Lambie, does that mean that lá, cá, aqui etc. can modify a noun? as in “o cachorro lá [apontando] é fofo”. – Schilive Oct 04 '21 at 20:01
  • A locuçao adverbial can be part of any one of those. As locução adverbial just means words like: de cima, de baixo, etc. See the list in my answer. A menina bonita de cima mora em outra casa. de cima =locução adverbial. menina bonita =modificador restritivo. Another: Dentro dos padrões em geral, os diretores [etc]. Dentros dos padrôes em geral is a grupo preposicional that includes em geral which is a locução adverbial. – Lambie Oct 04 '21 at 20:06
  • @Schilive No, it does not. lá, cá, aqui etc. are not on locuçôes adverbiais. Please look at the list. Those are just regular adverbs. – Lambie Oct 04 '21 at 20:12
  • @Lambie, what is lá modifying in "o cachorro lá é fofo"? I can't see it. – Schilive Oct 04 '21 at 20:23
  • @Schilive It isn't modifying anything. It is an adverb of place in relation to the speaker. It can also be called a deictic marker. – Lambie Oct 04 '21 at 21:47
  • @Lambie, thanks. – Schilive Oct 04 '21 at 23:32