Questions & Answers about قیمت آن کالا نسبتاً ارزان بود.
How does the word نسبتاً get its meaning of 'relatively'?
It is formed by taking the Arabic loanword نسبت (nesbat), which means 'ratio' or 'relation', and adding the suffix ـاً (pronounced '-an'). This suffix turns the noun into an adverb, changing 'relation' into 'relatively'.
Why does نسبتاً end with the letter alef (ا) if the ending is pronounced '-an'?
The '-an' sound comes from the two little diagonal dashes on top, called 'tanvin'. In Farsi writing, when applying this specific ending to Arabic loanwords, the symbol almost always needs an alef to sit on. You don't pronounce this alef as an 'â' vowel; it just acts as a silent chair for the '-an' sound.
How are the first three words connected when speaking this sentence out loud?
You need to use the hidden connecting vowel 'ezafe' (an 'e' sound) to say 'the price of that product'. It attaches to the first word, so you pronounce the beginning of the sentence as قیمتِ آن کالا (qeymat-e ân kâlâ).
Could I move the adverb نسبتاً to the very beginning of the sentence?
No, because in this sentence, نسبتاً (relatively) is specifically modifying the adjective ارزان (cheap). Just like in English, adverbs that describe 'how much' or 'to what degree' an adjective is usually sit right before that adjective.