世界的に

[healer]

エルトンジョンは世界的に有名な、スター歌手です。

What does に do grammatically in the above?
Does it convert 世界的 which is an adjective to adverb like it does with all other na-adjectives?
Could one say 世界に or 世界の中 instead of 世界的に for the same meaning?

 

[bentenmusume]

Yes, it's an adverbial usage. For an English equivalent, you could say he's "internationally famous."
世界中（せかいじゅう）で would have roughly the same meaning. ("He's famous across/around the world.")

世界に doesn't work. The location where someone/something is famous takes で, not に. (世界的に is fine because it's not marking a location, it's an adverbial usage.)

 

[healer]

Thanks mate!