CLASSIFICATION OF ADJECTIVES
169. An adjective is a word which describes or limits a substantive.
An adjective is said to belong to the substantive which it describes or limits.
An adjective which describes is called a descriptive adjective; one which points out or designates is called a definitive adjective ([§ 13]).
Most adjectives are descriptive: as,—round, cold, red, angry, graceful, excessive, young, sudden, Roman.
Note. Many descriptive adjectives are compound (see [§ 64]): as,—steadfast, lionlike, fireproof, downright, heartsick, everlasting, brown-eyed, broad-shouldered, ill-tempered, dear-bought, far-fetched, never-ending, self-evident, self-important. “He was a matter-of-fact person.” “Tom is hail-fellow-well-met with everybody.” “This is an out-of-the-way place.” “A dashing, down-at-the-heel youth answered my knock.”
170. A proper noun used as an adjective, or an adjective derived from a proper noun, is called a proper adjective and usually begins with a capital letter.
Examples:
- a Panama hat,
- Florida oranges,
- a Bunsen burner;
- Virginian,
- Spenserian,
- Newtonian,
- Icelandic,
- Miltonic,
- Byronic,
- Turkish,
- English,
- Veronese.
Note. Many so-called proper adjectives begin with a small letter because their origin is forgotten or disregarded: as,—china dishes, italic type, mesmeric power, a jovial air, a saturnine expression, a mercurial temperament, a stentorian voice.