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> 「自慢げに話す」「得意げに話す」「誇らしげに話す」

Is this げ a simple way to turn adjectives and nouns into adverbs? (are the
first two examples nouns turned into adverbs, or were they adjectives as well
to begin with?)
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2012-02-22T04:02:06.260
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2012-02-22T15:47:32.677
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question
grammar
Using げ to turn adjectives and nouns into adverbs
`自慢` is a suru-noun, `得意` is an adjectival-noun (na-adjective), and `誇らし` is
the root of an i-adjective. I think `げ` turns them all into adjectival-nouns.
A clear diagnostics is that you can create the attributive form with `な`.

> 自慢げな態度  
>  得意気な態度  
>  誇らしげな態度
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2012-02-22T05:02:42.427
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2012-02-22T05:12:11.133
2012-02-22T05:12:11.133
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answer
～げ, although usually written with hiragana, can also be written as ～気, and
means something like "have an air of...". These can be used as na-adjectives:

> 自慢げな態度 an attitude with an air of boastfulness  
>  得意げに話す speak with an air of (over-)confidence  
>  悲しげな顔 a face with an air of sadness

Some can also be used as nouns, but beware, not all of the ones that can be
used as na-adjectives are used as nouns. The nouns are most commonly used with
ない (but other uses also occur).

> 大人{おとな}げ(が)ない immature (no air of matureness)  
>  かわいげ(が)ない impertinent (lit. no air of cuteness)
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2012-02-22T05:56:40.093
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2012-02-22T15:47:32.677
2012-02-22T15:47:32.677
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answer