Adjectives. 122. The Science of the Adjective includes; first, the Definitions; second, the Classifications; third, the Attributes, and the Means of knowing them; fourth, the Declension and Comparison; and fifth, the Syntax of the Adjective. 123. First, the DEFINITIONS. The word, adjective,1 means that which is placed near. An ADJECTIVE is a word, a phrase, or a clause, which is used, in a sentence, as an adjunct of a noun. NOTE I. Adjectives are sometimes called Adnouns, which is a very convenient, and a better term than Adjective. EXAMPLES. 1. Large buildings are now standing where that grove once stood. Grammatical Analysis. Large is an adjective; because, it is used as an adjunct of the noun, buildings. That is an adjective; because, it is an adjunct of the noun, grove. 2. The rosy-fingered Morn, mother of dews, opes wide the pearly gates of day. Parsing. Rosy-fingered is a phrase adjective; because, it is a phrase, used as an adjunct of the noun, Morn. The Classifications. 124. Second, the CLASSIFICATIONS. Adjectives are classified according to two bases; first, according to their signification; second, according to the relation between their ideals and the ideals of their nouns. cent. 1 ADJECTIVE. tive, -;jec-jac, put, placed, thrown; ad, near, at. See adja 125. First Classification. According to signification, Adjectives are Proper, and Common. Proper Adjectives. 126. A PROPER Adjective is an adjunct, which distinguishes a class or kind named by a noun, from all other classes or kinds named by that noun. EXAMPLES. 1. The Spanish people, or the Spanish, live in Spain. Parsing. Spanish is a proper Adjective; because, it is an adjunct that distinguishes one class of people from all other classes of people. 2. The American people are mostly descendants from the English, Scotch, Irish, and German. 3. The Ciceronian style of eloquence has many admirers. 4. John has read of Platonic love, and Socratic wisdom. 5. The Hungarian nation was overpowered by the Russian and the Austrian nations. 6. The inhabitants of Sweden are called the Swedish people or the Swedes. 7. The Danish people or the Danes live in Denmark. 8. When you are in Rome, do as the Romans or as the Roman people do. 9. European, Asiatic, African, and American productions are articles of commerce. Common Adjectives. 127. A COMMON Adjective is an adjunct, which names a property belonging to each individual in a class, or to each of the different classes, etc. NOTE I. The distinction between the Proper and the Common Adjective is the same as that between the Proper and the Common Noun. Both showing the distinction between a certain individual, and all other individuals of the same kind. The Noun does this by naming an essence, a substance, or an abstract property; the Adjective by naming a concrete property. 10. A single heroic act has gained for that brave girl a lasting fame. Parsing. A is a common Adjective; because, it is an adjunct which names a property belonging to each individual, act, and to the whole class, acts. 128. Second Classification. According to the relation between their ideals and the ideals of their nouns, Adje tives are Descriptive, and Designative. Descriptive Adjectives. LIT. DIF. The word, descriptive,1 means like that which pictures an object. 129. A DESCRIPTIVE Adjective names a subordinate idea, which has either a natural, or an artificial relation to its principal; or, a subordinate idea of the QUANTITY, QUALITY, POSITION, DURATION, FORM, etc., of that which the noun names. (See Chap. II., 15., and Chap. III., Phrases.) EXAMPLES. 1. Quantity. Too much time is given to small, and too little time is given to great things. Grammatical Analysis. Much is a descriptive common Adjective, belonging to time. It is descriptive, because it names a subordinate idea, having a natural relation to its principal, time; or, it is descriptive, because it names an idea of quantity. 2. The day-spring awoke the morning call. Parsing. Day is a descriptive common Adjective, adjunct of spring. It is descriptive, because it names a subordinate idea, having an artificial relation to its principal, spring; or, because it names an idea of duration. 3. "Much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter." 4. Quality. Evil deeds cause painful emotions in a good man's soul. 1 DESCRIPTIVE. tive, —; scrip = scrib— scriv➡ graph, pictures, paints, draws; de, of. from. See scripture, scribble, scrivner, etc. This root was evidently first used when paintings, or drawings, were the mode of recording ideas, or thoughts; ond, before these had come to be mere lines, as in the more modern hieroglyphics, and alphabets or delineations. 5. "And, with some sweet, oblivious antidote." 6. Should a gothic cottage be surrounded by a wooden, by a stone, or by an iron fence? 7. Position. An inclined line is neither a horizontal, nor a vertical line. 8. Parallel lines are equally distant at all corresponding points. 9. The Western part of Massachusetts joins the Eastern part of New York. The former is one of the Eastern and the latter one of the Middle States. ^ 10. Every place is south of the North pole. 11. Duration. "Eternal life, and endless bliss are theirs." 12. Very many daily, semi-weekly, and weekly papers, and also many monthly, and quarterly periodicals are published. 13. Form. Oval and elliptical figures resemble circular figures. 14. The spreading trees and winding streams of a mountainous country form a diversified landscape. 130. Descriptive Adjectives of quantity are divided into two kinds; Definite Adjectives of Quantity or Numeral Adjectives, and Indefinite Adjectives. LIT. DEF. The word, definite,' means according to some limit. 131. DEFINITE Adjectives of Quantity or NUMERAL Adjectives are adjuncts, showing how many values are meant; and, also, which one of several values is meant. 132. Definite Adjectives of Quantity or Numeral Adjectives are divided into four kinds; Cardinal, Ordinal, Multiplicative, and Distributive. LIT. DEF. The word, cardinal,3 means belonging to the chief. 133. Numeral Adjectives of the CARDINAL kind are used in counting or in finding how many values are meant. 1 DEFINITE. ite,; fin, fence, limit, bound; de, according to, out, round. 2 NUMERAL. al, belonging to; er, one who, that which; num, tells how many, or which one. See Nouns, Number; also, Arith., No. III. 3 CARDINAL al, ; cardin, chief, principal." 15. One atom of water contains one atom of oxygen and one atom of hydrogen; so that, nine pounds of water contain one pound of hydrogen and eight pounds of oxygen. Parsing. One is a descriptive Adjective, showing quantity definite, or is a numeral Adjective of the cardinal kind. It is a numeral Adjective, because it shows quantity definite. It is a cardinal Adjective, because it is an adjective used in counting or in finding how many values are meant. NOTE I. A or an (one) when used as a Cardinal Adjective, is used to restrict the meaning of a noun to one of the kind signified by the noun, but to no particular one, and so prevent the noun from being taken in a general sense; thus, man mourns, means that all men mourn; but, a man mourns, asserts that any one man mourns. A or an are considered as one and the same word, and by some are called the Indefinite Article. (See Theory of Articles, 146.) LIT. DEF. The word, ordinal,' means belonging to a row or rank. 134. Numeral Adjectives of the ORDINAL kind are used in numbering or in finding which one of several values is meant. 16. Read the first, second, and third examples. Parsing. First is a numeral Adjective of the ordinal kind; because, it shows which one of several examples, taken in a certain order, is meant. LIT. DEF. The word, multiplicative means like that which folds many [times]. 135. Numeral Adjectives of the MULTIPLICATIVE kind are those used when objects are taken in groups or sets. 17. A one-fold carpet is a one-ply carpet. A two-ply carpet is a double carpet, or a two-fold carpet. A three-ply. is a three-fold or triple carpet. NOTE II. The student should be exercised in the Numerals until the distinction between the cardinal and the ordinal becomes perfectly familiar. For example, let him be directed to count certain objects; then to number them. LIT. DEF. The word, distributive,3 means like that which gives in parts. 1 ORDINAL. al,· -; ordin, row, rank, line. 2 MULTIPLICATIVE. (a)tive, -; plic - plex, folded; multi, many, often. Se single, double, simple; also, Arith., Multiplication. 3 DISTRIBUTIVE. tive, -; tribu, gives dis. anort Soc atter.. |