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narratively

UK[nəˈrætɪvli]US[ˈnærətɪvli]
adv

In a manner that relates to or is characteristic of a narrative; in the form of a story.

Morpheme Breakdown

narrat
ive
ly
narrat

to tell

ive

adjective suffix

ly

adverb suffix

Etymology

The word 'narratively' is built upon the Latin verb narrare, meaning 'to tell' or 'to make known', which itself is likely derived from the root gnarus ('knowing') and is related to the Proto-Indo-European root ǵneh₃- ('to know'). The suffix -ive transforms the action of telling into the adjective 'narrative', describing something that has the character of a story. Finally, the Old English adverbial suffix -ly is appended, converting the adjective into an adverb that specifies the manner of an action—'in a narrative way'. Thus, the term elegantly encapsulates the progression from the ancient concept of knowing and recounting events to the modern, abstract grammatical function describing a stylistic mode of presentation.

Analysis

Structure: narrat (to tell) + ive (adjective suffix) + ly (adverb suffix) - narrat: From Latin narrat-, the past participial stem of narrare meaning 'to tell, relate, recount'. It functions as the core verbal root. - ive: A suffix of Latin origin (-ivus) used to form adjectives meaning 'of the nature of' or 'tending to'. - ly: A suffix of Old English origin (-lice) used to form adverbs from adjectives, meaning 'in a specified manner'.

Examples

The film's events are presented narratively, through the protagonist's voice-over.

The report was effective but could have been structured more narratively to engage a broader audience.

She argued that the history was understood better when analyzed narratively rather than purely statistically.

narratively – Meaning, Etymology & Word Origin | OpenEtymology