CHAPTER IV.-ADJECTIVES. 61. An ADJECTIVE' is a word added to a Noun, to express some quality or distinctive circumstance belonging to it; as, a wise man;" a grey horse;" a square table."2 66 66 66 Obs.-The English adjective has no change of termination to distinguish gender, number, or case; thus, we say, "a good man ;" a good woman;" "a good book;" "good men ;" "good women;" good books," and "a good boy's books." It admits of inflection or change of form, only in the degrees of comparison; as, hard, harder, hardest.3 (a) A Common Adjective denotes a common or general quality attached to the Noun; as, “a good book;" a sweet apple." 66 Obs.-Adjectives have also been divided into, Descriptive or Attributive Adjectives, which express some quality or condition of the noun; as, "a rich man ;" "a warm day;" and into Definitive Adjectives, which define or limit the meaning of the noun to which they are applied; as "several books;" "those horses." (b) A Proper Adjective is one which is formed from a proper name; as, English from England; Johnsonian from Johnson. Obs.-Proper adjectives must always begin with a capital letter, and they are not capable of comparison. A compound adjective consists of two or more words connected by a hyphen; as, milk-white, ivy-mantled. 1 An explanation of the Adjective is given on page 17. 2 The English adjective has gained a vast advantage by rejecting the inflections denoting gender, number, and case, which are attached to the Anglo-Saxon adjective. See RASK's Anglo-Saxon Grammar. 3 The only striking peculiarity of the English adjective, is its invariability, or the want of distinct forms for different cases, genders, and numbers. The irreconcilability of the Norman and the Saxon modes of inflecting adjectives, compelled the English to discard them both. The Students' Manual of the English Language. (c) A Verbal or Participial Adjective has the form of a participle, but it differs from a participle by rejecting the idea of time; as, "a writing master;""an accomplished scholar." Obs. These adjectives end in ing or ed, except when they are formed from verbs of the ancient or strong conjugation; as, “a sunken rock." (d) A Numeral Adjective is one which expresses number or order; as, one, two; first, second; twofold, three-fold.1 Obs.-Numeral adjectives are of three kinds, Cardinal, Ordinal, and Multiplicative. The Cardinal express a number absolutely; as, one, two, three. They are so called from cardo, a hinge, because they are the hinge on which the Ordinal seem to turn. The Ordinal, express order or succession; as, first, second, third. The Multiplicative express how many times one object exceeds another; as, double, triple, fourfold. 62. The Positive Degree, is the Adjective in its simple form, without any increase or diminution of its quality; as, "a tall man;" "an important question." Obs.-"The positive degree," says Dr. Becker, "is that form in which as yet no comparison has taken place." 1 All the definite numerals are strictly adjectives, though some are occasionally used as nouns; as, a hundred,' "" hundreds." The numeral adjectives from one to ten are elementary words; the rest are compounds. The Handbook of the English Tongue. 2 The Positive is not, in strict propriety, a degree of comparison, because, although it may represent the abstract quality under consideration, in contrast with other abstract qualities, yet it cannot represent that quality in any degree of increase or diminution. Thus, in the expression, a tall man, the adjective tall represents the quality called tallness, in contrast with the quality of lowness of stature in other individuals, but it does not represent that quality in any degree of increase or diminution. The positive is, as it were, the starting point from which the degrees of grammatical comparison proceed. 63. Comparison is the expression of the increase or diminution of the quality attached to the adjective.1 64. Diminution of quality is always expressed by less or least. Obs. An indirect diminution may be indicated by adding rather to the positive; as, "a rather cold day." The termination —ish frequently denotes diminution of quality (particularly of color); as, a yellowish tinge," that is "a tinge approaching to yellowness." 66 65. There are two degrees of Comparison, the Comparative, and the Superlative.2 66. The COMPARATIVE expresses an increase or diminution of the quality, and it refers only to two persons or things; as, stronger; more active; less active; the wiser of the two. 67. The SUPERLATIVE expresses the greatest increase or diminution of the quality, and it refers to more than two persons or things; as, strongest; most active; least active; the wisest of the three.3 Terminational comparison, as well as that denoted by more and most, does not, as some of our grammarians teach, "increase or diminish the signification;" it always increases it. In shorter and shortest, the property of shortness is evidently increased not made less. The property, however, is diminished by less and least. GRANT'S English Grammar. 2 In many languages the superlative is used without a direct comparison of the object with others, to express that it possesses the quality in a very high degree. The superlative thus used, is called the superlative of eminence. In English, we commonly use the adverb very for this purpose; as, "A very good house." ARNOLD'S English Grammar. 3 The Superlative compares objects of the same class. 68. Adjectives of one syllable are generally compared by adding to the positive er for the Compor. ative, and est for the Superlative; as, tall, taller, tallest.1 Obs. If the positive end in e, only r or st is added; as, wise, wiser, wisest. If the positive end in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, the final consonant must be doubled in the comparative and superlative; as, fit, fitter, fittest. 69. Adjectives of two or more syllables are generally compared by prefixing more and most to the positive; as, beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful.2 Obs. Dissyllables ending in e are frequently compared by er, and est; as, noble, nobler, noblest. Dissyllables ending in y preceded by a consonant, change y into i before er and est; as, lovely, lovelier, loveliest. But if a vowel precede, y is not changed into i before er and est, as gay, gayer, gayest. 70. Adjectives whose signification does not admit of increase or diminution of quality, cannot be compared.* son. 66 1 Nouns are often used as adjectives; as, 66 a gold cup ;"" an iron bar;""an evening school ;" such terms are incapable of compariThe numerals are often used as nouns; and, as such, are regnlarly declined; as, by tens;" "for twenty's sake. Comparatives are sometimes employed as nouns ; as, 66 our superiors, our inferiors. In such cases they are really converted into nouns. 2 All adjectives (except those of irregular comparison) may be compared by prefixing more and most to the positive. 66 3 Among these are-1. Numeral adjectives; as, first, second, third; one, two, etc. 2. Words denoting time, place, person, matter, etc; as, weekly, British, Socratic, wooden. 3. Pronominal adjectives; as, each, every, etc. 4. Words expressing the highest or lowest degrees of quality; as, certain, chief, dead, everlasting, external, extreme, false, fluid, infinite, perfect, supreme. 5. Adjectives expressing perfection of figure; as, square, round, but not those whose shape may be altered without changing the character of the figure; as, oblong, oval. 71. The following adjectives are irregular or de fective in comparison.— Near Nearer3 Least Most Nearest or Next Older or Elder Oldest or Eldest Obs.-Later and latest always refer to time. Latter and last refer to order. Latter is used indefinitely; as, "in the latter days." Nearest refers to place; next to order. Elder and eldest are generally applied to persons particularly in comparing members of the same family; older and oldest are generally applied to things. 72. Some Adjectives form their Comparative and Superlative degrees from Adverbs and Prepositions; as. Innermost or Inmost1 In [prep.] Inner 1 Far-ther from far (Anglo-Saxon feor), is applied to the more distant of two objects: "the sun is farther from the earth than the moon." Fur-ther, from fore (Anglo-Saxon for, fore), is applied to the more advanced of two objects; "the ship moves further on. From this root for, there was a Saxon superlative for-ma, "first." Hence, for-m-er is a comparative formed from a superlative. ADAMS' English Language. 2 Lesser is a corruption of less, the comparative of little, of long and established use in certain cases; as, "Lesser Asia" for "Asia Minor." "The lesser light." Gen. i. 16. WORCESTER'S English Dictionary. 3 Such words as prior, interior, exterior, superior, inferior, etc., although comparatives in Latin are really positives in English, and consequently they cannot be followed by than as English comparatives are. 4 Most in such words is a double superlative form, see LATHAM'S English Language. Page 150. |