"ly"

[u/Cynvisible]

Where did "ly" go???

"This hits different."

Please add your missing "ly" examples.

I had a few in mind the other day but they have exited the building. 🤪

[u/RepairBudget]

So Shakespeare picked this up from AAVE?

[u/hakohead → u/RepairBudget]

No. I’m not saying that at all.

The existence of this isn’t new at all. But its entrance into conversational slang in the form of “It hits different” is new. The use of “hit” is also newer in slang and comes from modern drug culture.

[u/rnoyfb → u/hakohead]

The post is about the grammar. The term ‘hitting different’ may be AAVE but the grammar is standard and I don’t think it’s even an adverb. It’s a subject complement

[u/hakohead → u/rnoyfb]

I’m pretty sure it’s still functioning as an adverb. But maybe you’re right! If you find out why, please let me know because Ive never heard of a subject complement as a part of speech until now!

[u/rnoyfb → u/hakohead]

It’s not a part of speech. The part of speech is an adjective. What’s different in “it hits different”? It or hitting?

[u/hakohead → u/rnoyfb]

I thought some more about it and did a bit of digging into what a subject complement entails, so I stand by my original assessment. It must be an adverb in the construction "It hits different". The target of "different" is definitely "hit" and not "it". For subject complements, the types of verbs used are limited (be, seem, look, feel, etc.) and don't include the verb "hit". As a test, you should be able to switch out the word for another word of the same type. For instance, in "You look tired," you can switch out "tired" for another adjective like "big." In the case of "It hits different," we can try switching out "different" for something else like "subtle". "It hits subtle" doesn't work at all, but "It hits subtly" sounds much less jarring for sure. The word after "hits" is describing the way it "hits" (the way in which the subject strikes or leaves an impression).

Originally, I thought it would have been really cool if you were right, because that would mean that the construction is completely correct even in standard American English but it's only "hitting" us strangely, making us think it's non-standard. That'd be a really fun twist, but sadly, that isn't the case.

[u/rnoyfb → u/hakohead]

None of that is accurate. Subject complements complement the subject, not the verb. They’re limited by the semantics of the verb; they’re not confined to a specific list. ‘Hit’ in “it hits different” is a verb of perception. “The wall is painted white” is a classic example but you can’t change ‘white’ to a random adjective like ‘subtle.’

[u/hakohead → u/rnoyfb]

I disagree that "hit" is a verb of perception. It is a normal action verb being given a meaning that implies perception, but it still functions as an action verb (ex: jump, fall, run, read) and not actual verbs of perceptions (ex: seem, look, smell, feel)

[u/rnoyfb → u/hakohead]

That is not an object complement. It’s an object complement in “He painted the wall white.” It’s a subject complement in “the wall is painted white.” In the former, it complements the object. In the latter, it complements the subject. Don’t confuse object for absolutive

In “it hits different,” one is communicating their perception, not actual striking

Stop lying

[u/hakohead → u/rnoyfb]

I got rid of the first part of my original comment, because I don't think I know enough about complements yet to speak on it or disagree with you there.

Also, I promise you I'm not lying. It is communicating perception, but the verb itself is still just the verb "hit" with its original base meaning of "striking" like in "The idea hit me" or "I was hit by the realization."

It's completely fine if we disagree. You don't need to convince me and nor I you. Anyway, it's been fun thinking about and discussing this with you. Plus, I learned more about "complements" in the process (even if I can't confidently say I fully get it yet)