29. The adverbial suffix

  • A-ஆய் / A-ஆக –  ‘such that [it] be A’
    • When -ஆய்  or -ஆக is suffixed to a noun (or a phrase ending in a noun), the noun or noun phrase takes on an adverbial function. If A is a single noun, it often corresponds to simple adverbs in English: 
      • E.g. கவனமாய்(ப்) படி – read such that it be attentive =  ‘read attentively’
      • E.g. அழகாய்(ப்) பாடு – sing such that it be beautiful= ‘sing beautifully’
    • This construction may also correspond to a variety of other adverbial phrases in English: 
      • E.g. பெண்ணாய்(ப்) பிற – be born such that it be woman =’be born as a woman’
      • E.g. ____ வழியாக  – ‘via____’ (literally “such that ____ be the route”). 
    • Formally, -ஆய் is the adverbial participle and -ஆக is the infinitive of the weak verb ஆகு ‘become’.

Common Adverbs:

  • உடனே, உடனடியாக- immediately
  • நிச்சயமாக – definitely, undoubtedly