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Preference
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The adverb of preference is used to indicate that an event or situation is preferred by the subject of the clause containing the adverb.

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There is only one adverb of preference, which has a supplementive bare form:

1
Graach / leaver / it leafst
Eager, like / prefer / like best

Some examples are given below:

2
a. Ik wurkje graach
I work lovingly
I like to work
b. Ik wurkje leaver as dat ik yn 'e kroech omhingje
I work preferredly than that I in the pub around.hang
I prefer working rather than hanging around in the pub
c. It leafst wurkje ik
the best.liked work I
Working I love best

The 'regular' base of the comparative leaver prefer and the superlative leafst like best would be the adjective leaf well-behaved, nice. This adjective cannot be used in the meaning of graach like:

3
a. Ik wurkje graach
I work lovingly
I like to work
b. *Ik wurkje leaf
I work nicely
I like to work

However, both leaf well-behaved, nice and graach like may be found in the equative, though they are not always interchangeable:

4
a. Woe hy dat like graach as datsto dat woest?
wanted he that as lovingly as that.2SG that wanted.2SG
Did he want it as much as you wanted it?
b. *Woe hy dat like leaf as datsto dat woest?
wanted he that as lovingly as that.2SG that wanted.2SG
Did he want it as much as you wanted it?
c. Jierrenlang wie ik fan betinken dat ik leaf / graach nei Meksiko of Japan ta woe
jiers.long was I of thinking that I like as lovingly to Mexico or Japan to wanted
For years I had thought that I would just as much like to go to Mexico or Japan
d. Party turfmakkers hiene al sa leaf / graach wol in ryksdaalder krige as in bealch fol drank
some peat.diggers had DCP so lovingly DCP a pound gotten as a belly full liquor
Some peat diggers would just as gladly have received a pound as a belly full of booze

Graach may also occur as an attributive adjective meaning eager, coveting, coveted. Two examples have been provided below:

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a. Hja krige it mei in grage taast fan de lytsehantsjes oan
she got it with an eager thrust of the small hands ADP
She grabbed it eagerly with her small hands
b. Hja soe in grage proai wêze fan liuwen
she would a coveted prey be of lions
She would be a coveted prey of lions
References
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