Parts of speech are a harmonious mechanism in which there is not a single superfluous element. Surprisingly, in each language, this mechanism is arranged in its own way. What in one language can be expressed in two or three words, in another it will require the construction of a rather complex sentence. That is why it is extremely important when studying foreign languages not to approach the grammar through the sleeves, but to ponder over each rule - because among them there are no empty and meaningless ones.
The name adjective is one of the key parts of speech, giving people the opportunity to vividly describe the world. However, it also has its own nuances in different languages of the world. This is a structure, a place in a sentence, and coordination with other parts of speech, and, of course, functions that are assigned to the adjective. In the article we will consider and compare the functions of this part of speech in some European languages.
General properties
So what are the characteristics of adjectives? The list is quite large.
First of all, the adjective denotes the non-procedural attribute of the subject. This means that the permanent property of a living or non-living object (a true friend, a cozy house) is described. Non-procedural signs are also indicated by adverbs, only these signs do not already refer to the subject, but to the action (run fast, draw beautifully).
If the adjective is directly related to the noun, it should be able to adapt to its "boss". In different languages, nouns have different categories: number, gender, case, declension. All these categories are taken from them by adjectives - the list of categories for them looks exactly the same.
Relationship
Adjectives are also closely interconnected with other parts of speech, penetrating each other and making them richer. Their connection with pronouns and numerals is clearly manifested. At the junction of these parts of speech, ordinal numerals arose at the time, answering the question “which account?”, As well as the relative and interrogative pronouns “what” and “which”. It is worth highlighting the participle that describes the subject through action, which was given the birth of verbs and adjectives. The list of these forms is very long (a sailing ship, a crouching tiger). The sacrament is also consistent with the subject and provides its procedural attribute.
Adjective Transformations
The secondary nature of the name of the adjective is emphasized by the way it is formed. Most often it is formed from nouns, focusing on some key property or attribute. So, the raspberry berry gave us a crimson color, and the corner gave us an angular gait. Adjectives that indicate the subject belongs to someone are the most striking example of the close connection of this part of speech with nouns. Such flexibility is distinguished by the Russian language, where possessive adjectives are often formed: grandfather’s book - grandfather’s book.
In English and German, such forms are not available. In the English grandad's book, the possessive case of the noun grandad indicates that the book belongs to grandfather. In German, there is an almost identical simplified form that is used with proper names: Annas Auto. However, most often this role is played by a special form of the genitive case: das Buch des Grossvaters, with the object and not its owner in the first place.
English is famous for conversion - the complete transition of one part of speech to another without visible changes. Conversions are also subject to adjectives - wet (wet) can easily become a noun with the meaning "moisture". And slim in the meaning of “slim” in a certain context will become the verb “slim”.
In German, a similar mechanism turns an adjective into an abstract noun. Schwarz in the meaning of "dark" when adding the article will acquire the meaning of "darkness". Also here, a conversion is possible when naming living beings that have the attribute called the producing adjective, der Irre - "crazy", der Taube - "deaf". Adding the article to the adjective also works in French: Le ciel est bleu (adjective); Le bleu (noun) du ciel. The syntactic function in bleu, its place in the sentence, as well as the presence of the article, gives grounds to consider le bleu a noun. At the same time, the noun le bleu, in addition to its main meaning (color designation is blue, blue), has others, for example: work clothes, a blue shirt, a beginner, a bruise, a blue.
Adjective loanwords
There are several types of borrowing foreign adjectives, depending on the degree of their adaptation to the realities of the host language. In this regard, we can distinguish several of these types:
- Full tracing - the word does not undergo any changes, does not accept the system of declination of the language. As a rule, this includes specific terms designating the style (retro, rococo), as well as complex color shades (marsala, indigo).
- Suffixation is the most voluminous group of borrowed adjectives. An interesting fact is that foreign adjective suffixes also acquire analogues in the host language . Their list is quite large. The French suffixes -aire, -ique and -if mutate into -ar and are supplemented by the natural suffix -ny. The suffix -ic is also popular: legendaire - legendary; diplomatique - diplomatic. The Greek suffix -ik in Russian translates into -ic, -ic: hygienic, photogenic, heroic.
Great and powerful adjectives
The list of Russian adjectives is very long due to the word-building potential of this part of speech.
The function of adjectives in a sentence is either a definition (He reads a good book) or a part of a compound nominal predicate (I am very energetic today). In the first case, the adjective is placed before the noun, in the second - after it.
By function and word-building potential, all adjectives can be divided. The list consists of three items:
- Qualitative - denoting a direct sign that can be felt by the senses (red, loud, salty). Such adjectives vary in degrees of comparison (louder - the loudest), and can also have a short form (important, severe). If there is a need to strengthen the meaning, the adjective can be repeated: blue-blue sky. From qualitative adjectives adverbs and abstract nouns are formed: beautiful - beautiful - beauty.
- Relative - linking the described item with another subject or concept (aluminum - made of aluminum, sewing - designed for sewing). They have neither a degree of comparison nor a short form, nor can they form adverbs.
- Possessive - indicate belonging to someone (a person or an animal) - grandfather tobacco, rabbit cabbage.
Sometimes the transition of the name of the adjective from a relative category to a quality one is possible. In this case, the meaning also changes: fox tail - fox smile (meaning: cunning, lying).
An important characteristic of Russian adjectives is the ability to declension - a change in gender, number and case in accordance with the governing noun (brick house - brick wall - brick pillars).
Shakespeare's language
There are some features that, unlike Russians, English adjectives do not possess. Their list is small, but sufficient.
Unlike Russian, English adjectives are completely unchangeable. Red fox, red flowers, red wall - in all these phrases the word "red" remains as it is, regardless of the number and type of noun.
High quality and relative adjectives in English are highlighted. The list of their features is almost the same as in Russian, with the exception of one fact - English adjectives do not have a short form.
Also, the adjective can go into an abstract noun (the mysterious - something mysterious). Sick (sick) when adding the article will go to the sick (sick, patients). As in Russian, the English adjective in the role of definition will precede the noun (an empty house), and in the role of the predicate - enclose it (The house is empty).
The reasons for the lack of possessive adjectives have already been discussed previously.
Goethe's language
English and German adjectives have a lot of similarities - the list of their features is almost identical. However, there is one major difference that unites German adjectives with Russian - is the ability to bow. Ein billiger Haus - “cheap house” in the plural becomes billige Häuser. The endings change the gender, number and case of the adjective (guten Kindes - a good child, gutem Kind - a good child, guten Kind - a good child).
Depending on whether a particular or random subject is involved, adjectives tend to be weak (der gute Vater — this good father), strong (guter Vater — this good father), or mixed (ein guter Vater — some good father).
Language of love
French adjectives have much in common with German - a list of similarities is sufficient. They vary by birth (Il est joli - he is beautiful, elle est jolie - she is beautiful) and by numbers (Le livre intéressant - an interesting book, les livres intéressants - interesting books), do not have a case declension. They also vary depending on the degree of comparison (Grand - Plus grand - Le plus grand).
An interesting feature of French adjectives is the ability to change meaning depending on whether they are before or after the noun. Un homme brave is a brave man, while un brave homme is a glorious man.
Language of calm
The list of adjectives in Finnish is very long and difficult. As in Russian, adjectives are consistent with the noun in the number and case (and all of them in Finnish from 14 to 16).
Some adjectives do not change in cases:
eri - different;
viime - past;
ensi - next;
koko is the whole.
The adjective can also stand in front of the defined word: kaunis talo - a beautiful house; and after him - Talo on kaunis. - The house is beautiful. There are also degrees of comparison (iloinen - fun; iloisempi - more fun, more fun; iloisin - the most fun, fun).
General and various
So, in all the languages reviewed, adjectives perform the function of determining the qualities of an object. Coordination with the subject in different languages has its own characteristics. The list of adjectives in Finnish and Russian will have both common and distinctive features. The same applies to other languages, despite the proximity of their vocabulary and grammar.