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.