Definition of the word sentence adverb

The term "sentence adverb" is relatively new in linguistic terminology, and its precise origin is not well-established. However, the term can be traced back to the 1980s, when linguists began to notice the absence of a clear label for certain types of adverbs that modify entire sentences rather than individual words. Rooryck (1982) and Quirk et al. (1985) were among the first linguists to use the term "sentence adverbs" as a label for these linguistic elements. Since then, the term has gained broader acceptance among linguists, and it is now commonly used in various linguistic handbooks and textbooks. The term "sentence adverb" is now widely recognized as a useful label for adverbs that modify entire sentences rather than individual words, as they share several grammatical and semantic properties. Sentence adverbs are generally placed at the beginning or end of a sentence, and they often convey mood, tone, or evaluation of the entire proposition or speech event they modify. Some examples of sentence adverbs include "frankly," "certainly," "fortunately," and " Regrettably." The popularity of sentence adverbs as a linguistic term has led to some debate and criticism among linguists, as there is no clear consensus about the precise nature and distribution of these elements. Some researchers question whether sentence adverbs are indeed distinct from other types of adverbs, and some argue that they should be considered part of a broader class of discourse particles or pragmatic markers. Nonetheless, the term "sentence adverb" continues to be widely used and recognized as a helpful and convenient label for these linguistic objects.