Adverbs that can modify other adverbs / adverbials?


I assumed that adverbs modify only verbals (noun + copula, adjectives, verbs,
however blurred their actual distinction). However, today I came across an
entry in a grammar book [ISBN-13: 978-4789012959] on an adverb さらに （更に） that
can (apparently) modify other adverbs, which proves this assumption wrong.
Example sentence:

> クローバル時代に向けて企業の国際化を **さらに強力に** 押し進める必要がある。In our global age, we must promote
> the internationalization of businesses even more forcefully.

Here, it is explicitly stated that さらに modifies 強力に and not any of the verbals
that follow.

My question: is there a special name for this class of adverbs (in that entry
only さらに、もっと、より、なお、 and 一層 are listed)? Is there a list or some kind of way of
identifying this kind of adverbs? Do such adverbs apply only apply to nouns
that can take an adjective form (like 強力な)?

Edit: I've thought about it a bit more and it seems indeed some other extent
adverbs can modify an adverbial if it's formed from na-adjective, e.g.
そんなに深刻にX. Is that all there is to it, just treat a noun-form na-adjective + に
as something that an adverb can modify?




> My question: is there a special name for this class of adverbs (in that
> entry only さらに、もっと、より、なお、 and 一層 are listed)?

Yes, those are commonly called 「[程度副詞]{ていどふくし}」.

> Is there a list or some kind of way of identifying this kind of adverbs?

Here is a rather extensive list of 程度副詞: <http://www.weblio.jp/parts-of-
speech/%E5%89%AF%E8%A9%9E(%E7%A8%8B%E5%BA%A6)_1>

> Do such adverbs only apply to nouns that can take an adjective form (like
> 強力な)?

No, 程度副詞 can modify all kinds of adjectives and verbs. They can also modify
other adverbs as long as it makes sense. It does not have to be any particular
type of adverbs.

Lastly, 「強力に」 is an adjective ([形容動詞]{けいようどうし}), not an adverb ([副詞]{ふくし}). In
Japanese, any conjugated form of an adjective is still an adjective. It does
not matter if 「強力に」 modifies verbs. If it were an adverb, it would have its
own entry in the dictionary. Since it is only the 連用形 of a na-adjective, it
will not be listed in a dictionary.

(This is something I have tried to explain all over internet including S.E.
but have failed because English-speaking Japanese-learners tend to apply
English grammar rules to Japanese, which is pointless to begin with. To them,
a word that modifies a verb is an adverb. Sure, that is fine **_in English_**
, but the language we talk about here is Japanese.)




> My question: is there a special name for this class of adverbs (in that
> entry only さらに、もっと、より、なお、 and 一層 are listed)?

Yes, those are commonly called 「[程度副詞]{ていどふくし}」.

> Is there a list or some kind of way of identifying this kind of adverbs?

Here is a rather extensive list of 程度副詞: <http://www.weblio.jp/parts-of-
speech/%E5%89%AF%E8%A9%9E(%E7%A8%8B%E5%BA%A6)_1>

> Do such adverbs only apply to nouns that can take an adjective form (like
> 強力な)?

No, 程度副詞 can modify all kinds of adjectives and verbs. They can also modify
other adverbs as long as it makes sense. It does not have to be any particular
type of adverbs.

Lastly, 「強力に」 is an adjective ([形容動詞]{けいようどうし}), not an adverb ([副詞]{ふくし}). In
Japanese, any conjugated form of an adjective is still an adjective. It does
not matter if 「強力に」 modifies verbs. If it were an adverb, it would have its
own entry in the dictionary. Since it is only the 連用形 of a na-adjective, it
will not be listed in a dictionary.

(This is something I have tried to explain all over internet including S.E.
but have failed because English-speaking Japanese-learners tend to apply
English grammar rules to Japanese, which is pointless to begin with. To them,
a word that modifies a verb is an adverb. Sure, that is fine **_in English_**
, but the language we talk about here is Japanese.)

