A Dictionary of Cont..

cannot qualify a noun directly, but they may
qualify a definitive adjective and so have the
force of qualifying the noun. When they
qualify a definitive adjective they stand before
it, as in many a day, what a man, such a
storm. When a word of this kind, or the interrogative
adverb how, applies to a particular
adjective it will bring that adjective forward
with it, as in so rich a man, too rainy a day,
how sad a case. But with these exceptions, the
order of adjectives outlined above is always
followed.
adjectives as adverbs. Almost any word that can
be used to qualify a noun can also be used to
qualify some words that are not nouns. There
are some words in English, such as slow, high,
even, early, that can be used with a noun and
also with a verb. These words are clearly
adverbs as well as adjectives. But there are
other adjective-like words which cannot be used
to qualify a verb but can be used to qualify
the positive form of adjectives, such as dark,
black, and bitter, in a dark blue dress, a blackeyed
child, a bitter cold night.
There are several things a grammarian might
say about this situation. He-might say that-in
Ennlish adiectives mav __ sualifv _ adjectives. . This
represents the facts, but it would require a
new definition of an adjective and very few
grammarians take such a stand. On the other
hand, he might recognize all these words as
adverbs, and this is what most grammarians
do. But this means that practically all adjectives
are also adverbs and the classification
ceases to have much value. That is, the fact
that a dictionary lists a given word as an
adverb tells nothing about whether or not that
word can be used to qualify a verb. Some
grammarians follow a middle course. They find
special explanations for some of these adjective
combinations, and those that they can’t explain
they condemn as an improper use of the word.
An adjective before a color word is always
acceptable, as in a dark blue dress, a greenish
yellow car. Some grammarians say that the
color word is here a noun, and therefore properly
qualified by an adjective. Others say that
the two words, such as dark blue, are actually
one compound adjective. This difference of
opinion may determine whether or not. a
hyphen is used in such terms. In any case, the
adjective before a color word is normal English
today. An adverb may also be used here and
is sometimes preferred when the adjective form
is ambiguous. For example, in roll on, thou
deep and dark blue ocean, the words deep and
dark may refer to blue or they may refer to
ocean. On the other hand, when the sea is
described as darkly, deeply, beautifully blue,
the adverb forms can only refer to the word
blue. But these are problems of poetry and
exalted prose. In everyday English, a darkly
blue dress would suggest something mysterious
and exotic, certainly nothing as prosaic as a
dress that is dark blue.
A combined noun and adjective, such as
warm heart, noble mind, clear sight, empty
13 adjectives
head, may be made into an adjective by adding
-ed to the noun, as in warm hearted, noble
minded, clear sighted, empty headed. These are
usually classed as compound adjectives and are
usually hyphenated in deference to this fact.
Whether they really are compounds or not is
debatable. When the two words are treated as
one in making a comparative or superlative
form, as in a warm-hearteder, the emptyheadedest,
we clearly have a compound adjective.
Forms of this kind do appear but they
are rare. We more often treat the first word as
an independent adjective (or adverb) and say
u warmer hearted, the emptiest headed. In this
case it is impossible to say that the two words
are a compound, and a hyphen is never used
when the first element has a comparative or
superlative form. The number of words that
can be used in this way is almost unlimited.
We say white haired, blue eyed, quick witted,
decent sized, good natured, and so on indefinitely.
The past participle of a verb is sometimes
merely a descriptive adjective and when it is,
it too may be qualified by an adjective-like
word, as in native born, foreign made, soff
spoken, fresh oiled, new laid eggs, new mown
hay. Sometimes the participle keeps its verbal
force and in this case a clearly adverbial form
is required to qualify it, as in warmly dressed,
well behaved, highly priced, deeply rooted.
Often the speaker may use whichever form
suits him best and say soft spoken or softly
spoken, high priced or highly priced. But the
adverbial form always gives the following word
a verb-like feeling. A beautiful colored object
is an object that has beautiful color. But a
beautifully colored object is an object that has
been colored beautifully.
Adjective forms are also used before adjectives
as qualifiers, as red in red hot and stark
in stark naked. These words are clearly “adverbs
of degree” and cannot be explained
away. Faced with such combinations, anyone
who has been claiming that there is an innate
difference between an adjective and an adverb
must either recognize that there is something
wrong with his system or conclude that the
language itself is wrong. Some have decided
that it must be the language.
Constructions of this kind are common ln
the finest literary English, as in and it grew
wondrous cold and St. Agnes’ Eve-ah, bitter
chill it was! Some words that were originally
adjectives, such as very and pretty, are used
in this way so consistently that no one would
think of objecting to them. Others have now
disappeared from the language, or at least
have a decidedly nineteenth century flavor, as
an uncommon fine fellow, devilish handsome,
deuced uncomfortable. Some are still in use
but are not considered standard, as dreadful
sorry, Clementine. But there are a great many
more that are in standard use and pass unnoticed.
We may still say icy cold and bitter
cold though we no longer say it is cruel cold.
We may still use the -ing adjectives in this