What is an adjective?

Definition
	An adjective is a word that belongs to a class whose members modify nouns. An adjective specifies the properties or attributes of a noun referent.

Discussion
	Some languages have no formally distinct category of adjectives. In such languages, property concepts are expressed as either nouns or verbs.
	An adjective generally
	occurs in a noun phrase or as a stative predicate may be intensified, and may take comparative and superlative degrees.

Examples (English)
	That cat is big. We will not drive the old car. I am very encouraged! She is more agile than you.

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of adjectives:
	What is an absolute adjective? What is a verbal adjective?

Generic
	An adjective is a kind of
	What is a word?

Sources
	Crystal 1980 14
	Hartmann and Stork 1972 5
	Mish 1991 56

Context for this page:

Concept module: adjective
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): A
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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