ferent persons, according to their habits of thought and their knowledge of the languages. It is, therefore, difficult, or perhaps impossible, to draw any very distinct line between the two classes of adjectives. But in some cases the relative character is clear and immovable. 1. No adjectives are more decidedly relative than those expressing the MATERIAL of which a thing is made; as, ȧpyúpeos, argenteus, silbern. The French are destitute of these terms; they say une vaisselle d'argent. In English we form such adjectives from the substantive by adding the termination -en; as, golden, brazen. Formerly this mode of derivation was more extensively used than it is now. Milton, in the Comus, talks of cedarn alleys. Treen platters (tree-n): wooden plates, was a usual term at the time when the thing itself was familiar. = 2. But many words do not admit of this adjectival termination, and we use the SUBSTANTIVE adjectively, without any change; as, "an iron crown;""a stone coffin;" "a glass bottle." The analogy of these cases has led us to do the same, even where the adjective exists. Thus we speak of an oak floor, not oaken; of a brass candlestick, not brazen; of silk, not silken stockings. In this way almost every substantive in the language can be used as an adjective without modification; as, "a bottle nose ;""a university man ;" and nose;" the same usage is often extended, at least colloquially, to compound words and phrases. Falstaff tells Prince Hal to "go hang himself in his own heir-apparent garters ;" and Campbell uses similar forms in the line "Like angel visits, few and far between." 3. We are much more at a loss to express PREDOMINANT QUALITIES or INGREDIENTS. We might say a stony field, but it is not common to say, or, at least, to print, an irony or a limy soil. We might say a soil containing iron, or in which lime is a large ingredient. But for compactness of expression, borrowing from the Latin, we say a ferruginous soil, and a calcareous stratum. In the same way, instead of say. ing a message by word of mouth, we say a verbal message. Some adjectives of English form and origin have fallen into disuse in modern times, as Latin radicals and termina tions have become more familiar. This process, however, like most of those which occur in the progress of Language, seems to have gone on very capriciously. We use fatherly, motherly, brotherly, as readily as paternal, maternal, fraternal. Sisterly has no Latin equivalent: Sonly is never used, though filial does not fully represent it. Daughterly is not common. 4. Adjectives are not derived from substantives only, but from other words, and especially from verbs. Of this kind we have but few English Adjectives, unless we consider participles as such. In most cases we have the alternative between a Latin adjective and an English participle. We speak of hereditary rights, and of rights inherited from our ancestors; of native talents, or of talents born with a man; of derivative claims, or claims flowing from others; of striking or of impressive descriptions; of a radiant or a beaming countenance. Words like these, in pairs, of which one is of Latin and the other of Saxon origin, are not exactly synonymous. Thus, terrestrial is not precisely equivalent to earthy, nor silvan to woody, nor feminine to womanly, nor timely to temporary. In a language which so much borrows its adjectives from another, their meaning is naturally liable to be mistaken by those whose learning does not extend beyond their mother tongue. § 181. Adjectives have also been divided into, I. DESCRIPTIVE ADJECTIVES, which express some quality or condition of the noun; as, "A good man;""an open book." II. DEFINITIVE ADJECTIVES, which define or limit the meaning of the noun to which they are applied; as, "Several men;" "those books." § 182. 1. A PROPER ADJECTIVE, in distinction from a common adjective, is one that is derived from a proper name; as, Roman, from Rome; English, from England. 2. A NUMERAL ADJECTIVE is one that is used to express a definite number. There are three kinds of numeral adjectives, namely, Cardinal; as, One, two, three; Ordinal; as, First, second, third; Multiplicative; as, Single, double or two-fold, triple or three-fold. See § 193. 3. A PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVE is one that partakes of the nature of a Pronoun and an Adjective, being sometimes used as the one, and sometimes as the other. The following have been called pronominal adjectives: This, that, these, those; each, every, either; much, many, few, several; all, none, any, one, other, another, such, some, both, &c. 4. A PARTICIPIAL ADJECTIVE is one that has the form of a participle without the idea of time; as, A pleasing person. 183. Those Adjectives which denote VARIABLE QUALITIES have three degrees of Comparison: the Positive, the Compara. tive, and the Superlative. See § 179. 1. The POSITIVE degree of the quality is expressed by the adjective in the Simple Form; as, wise, cold. The COMPARATIVE degree of the quality is expressed by adding r or er to the Positive Form; as, wiser, colder. The SUPERLATIVE degree of the quality is expressed by adding st or est to the Positive Form; as, wise-st, cold-est. The Comparative refers to two persons or things, and denotes a greater degree of a quality in the one than in the other. The Superlative refers to more than two persons or things, and denotes the utmost degree of a quality. All monosyllables admit of r, st or er, est, and dissyllables when the addition may be easily pronounced. This mode of comparison may be called SIMPLE or TERMINATIONAL Comparison. When adjectives end in y after a consonant, the y is dropped and i substituted before er and est; as, lofty, loftier, loftiest. 2. Every adjective susceptible of Comparison may also be compared by more and most; as, more wise, most wise. This mode of comparison may be called COMPOUND Comparison. 3. DIMINUTION of quality, whether the adjective is of one syllable or more than one syllable, is formed by less and least; as, happy, less happy, least happy. The termination -ish expresses a slight degree of a quality; as, reddish. More, most, less, or least, prefixed to an adjective, forms with it virtually a compound adjective. 4. In the Sanscrit language, one form for the comparative was tara; as, Punya pure; punya-tara=purer. One of the forms of the superlative was ishta. In the Greek, one of the forms for the comparative was τερος ; as, σοφωτέρος. One of the forms for the superlative was ιστος; as, ἥδιστος. In the Latin, one of the forms of the comparative is or; as, firmi-or: one of the forms of the superlative ssimus; as, formosissimus. Moso-Gothic, spediza=later; spedists= last. In the Anglo-Saxon, for the comparative and superlative there were two forms, viz., or and re, and ost and este. There was also, sometimes, the change of a vowel; as, Lang, lengre, lengest, long; geong, gyngre, gyngest, young; Of this héah, hyrre, hyhst, high; eald, yldre, yldest, old. change, the word last quoted is a still existing specimen; as, Old, elder, and older, eldest and oldest. Between these two forms there is a difference of meaning, elder being used as a Substantive, and having a plural form, elders. 5. The previous paragraph has stated that in Anglo-Saxon there are two forms for the comparative and the superlative Degrees, one re and este, the other in or and ost, respectively. Now the first of these was the form taken by Adjectives; as, se scearpre sweord=the sharper sword; and se scearpeste sweord the sharpest sword. The second, on the other hand, was the form taken by Adverbs; as, se sweord Scyrs scearporthe sword cuts sharper, and se sweord scyrð scearpost the sword cuts sharpest. IRREGULAR COMPARISON. § 184. The following Adjectives have DIFFERENT WORDS for expressing different degrees of Comparison : Much or many, More, Less, Lesser, Superlative Best. Worst. Most. Least. Good and better are related logically in the ideas they express, but not etymologically. They are related in their use, but not in their origin. Better and best have lost their positive, if they ever had any, which has been replaced by good, a word of a different origin. It is stated that the Persian language has beh=good, and behter for the comparative. The same general account may be given of the relations of bad and worse, of many and more. They are etymologically different words. It is also said that the Persian language has bad, and comparative badter. The Moso-Gothic form of worse is vairsiza; the Anglo-Saxon vyrsa, Old Saxon wirso, Old High-German wirsiro. In other languages, the words corresponding to good, better, best, show a similar want of relationship in their origin. Icelandic gód, bettri, bestr; Maso-Gothic goths, batiza, batist; Danish god, bedre, beste; Swedish göd, bättre, bäst; Dutch goed, beter, best; Friesic god, bettre, beste; Anglo-Saxon god, betra, betst. Much is etymologically related to more. Maso-Gothic mikils; Anglo-Saxon mycel; Scotch muckle; Norse miök, miög; English much: Maso-Gothic maiza; Old High-German mero; Anglo-Saxon ma; Old English moe; English more. It is doubtful whether little and less are etymologically related to each other. § 185. The following Adjectives have IRREGULAR terminaTIONS for expressing the degrees of comparison: Farther means more far, or more distant. It is derived from the word far, which appears in the following forms: fairra, Maso-Gothic; feor, Anglo-Saxon; fër, Old HighGerman. The proper comparative is formed without the th, which is inserted either because far-er is inharmonious, or from the word being confounded with further. Last is only a contraction of latest. By comparing this word with best, we discover that the sound of t has been lost. The full forms would be lat-est (latt-est) and bett-est. Some of these Adjectives are redundant, though in most cases there is a difference of meaning. Thus, foremost refers to place; first, to time; |