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    -oan
    quickinfo

    The suffix -oan derives adverbs from other adverbs, especially from adverbs denoting time. An example is stadich slow > stadichoan slowly.

    The suffix -oan can also derive adjectives from other adjectives.

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    The suffix -oan derives adverbs from adverbs, especially from adverbs denoting time. Examples are given in the table below:

    Table 1
    Base form Derivation
    stadich slow stadichoan slowly
    alwer again alweroan continually
    súntsjes quiet súntsjesoan quietly
    fierders subsequent fierdersoan subsequently
    jimmer always jimmeroan continually
    fuort immediately fuortoan from now on
    In adverbs of time denoting always or gradually, the suffix -oan has a competitor in the suffix -wei, which can sometimes replace -oan. The different derivations do not have exactly the same meaning: -wei denotes the complete interval (of time), while -oan denotes a direction or continuation in time. Examples are stadichwei slowly vs stadichoan gradually and jimmerwei constantly vs jimmeroan continually.
    extra
    Aloan en alwei all the time

    Frisian has one fixed expression which uses -oan and -wei next to each other: aloan en alwei all the time. This expression denotes a strong durative aspect. The construction is often used without al-, examples are given below:

    i
    Dat bern seurde mar oan en wei om in koekje
    that child whined but on and way for a cookie
    That child kept whining for a cookie
    It reinde dy deis mar oan en wei
    it rained that day but on and way
    It kept raining all day long

    In combination with al all, ever, the derivation from a comparative with -oan makes the denotation even stronger. For example: al slûgeroan still getting sleepier, al minderoan still getting worse. Alternative constructions are aloan slûger still getting sleepier, aloan minder still getting worse.

    Derivations in -oan can also be added to noun phrases or preposition phrases denoting time, to denote a continuation of this time. For example: alle dagen weroan every day again and yn 't earstoan/lêstoan at the beginning/end.
    extra
    Wind directions

    -oan can also be added to nouns indicating wind directions, denoting a continuation in space: noard north > noardoan northwards, súd south > súdoan southwards, west west > westoan westwards and east east > eastoan eastwards.

    extra
    Literature

    This topic is based on Hoekstra (1998:163). More details about the suffix -oan can be found in Hoekstra (1989) and Tamminga (1963:185-187).

    References
    • Hoekstra, Jarich1989It wurdt tsjusterderoanFriesch Dagblad06-05Taalsnipels 105
    • Hoekstra, Jarich1998Fryske wurdfoarmingLjouwertFryske Akademy
    • Tamminga, Douwe Annes1963Op 'e taelhelling. Losse trochsneden fan Frysk taellibben. IBoalsertA.J. Osinga
    About this article
    Author(s): Siebren Dyk, Joke Weening
    Category: Frisian Morphology
    Keywords: suffixderivationadverb
    Version: 1.0, March 2016
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Siebren Dyk, Joke Weening March 2016
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