The adjective is very often employed as the predicate of a sentence. It then conveys, by the help of the sub stantive verb or copula, information of a connection be twixt the idea conveyed by it and the leading subject ex pressed by the nominative prefixed to this verb. As in the sentences, " Cicero was eloquent," and " Solon was wise." the obscurity in which etymology is involved, it would be difficult to trace all adjectives to other parts of speech, and thus prove that none of them are original. But many of them which might be supposed from their appearance to be simple have been shown to be derived from verbs, and these verbs are expressive of motion.
Sometimes the adjectives thus derived signify qualities produeed by particular motions. The adjective •' left," in contradistinction to right, is from the verb to leave. The left hand is that which we leave or decline to use. "'Tight" is tied ; 44 full" is,fiiled; 44 loud" is from low'd.
Sometimes the adjectives thus formed merely contain an allusion to the motions from which they arc derived, as "odd" from wed; 46 straight" and 46 strict" from stringere to pull ; " blind" from the old verb to 46 bun," or stop ; " bold" from the verb to build or establish. " Brown" is from the verb to bren or burn. 44 Lewd" is the participle of the verb to lew or allure. 44 Profligate," an adjective used to depict a character destitute of all rectitude of principle, is derived from profikare to defeat.
Adjectives expressive of single qualities are sometimes derived from the names of habitual assemblages in which such qualities are conspicuous. The colour " yellow" is in Latin fammens or luteus, because it is the colour of flame or of clay. The English word 44 yellow" is derived from the Saxon verb geelgen to burn or flame. l'iridis in Latin, is from virere, to vegetate; and "green" in Eng lish from grenian, to grow.
From the analogies in etymology disclosed by the re searches of Air Tooke, it would appear that verbs expres sive of human motion have been the roots from whiclral most all adjectives, as well as substantives, have been de rived. This fact tends to illustrate the views given at the beginning of this article, on the principles which regulate the progress of the human mind in the formation of lan guage.
Some adjectives contain an intentional allusion to the nouns and verbs from which they are derived, and sotne thing more is recognized in them than the current signs for annexed qualities. Such are the adjectives 44 manly, gentlemanlike, princely, national, provincial, worldly, earth ly ;" also 44 earthy, hilly, stony:" The substantives are here fully expressed, and the terminating syllable denoting an nexation is capable of being separated. Sometimes this
last is merely a general sign of connection ; at other times it signifies something more specific, and then the adjective is to be considered as formed by the combination of another adjective with a noun. Thus, " faithful" does not mean simply 44 connected with faith," but 44 full of faith," and, if analyzed into the genitive case, it would not he represent ed by the phrase " of faith," but 64 of fulness of faith." A " gentleman-like youth" is not " a youth of, or connected with, gentleman," but " of the resemblance, or likeness, of a gentleman." Where several synonymous adjective ter minations exist, though all general in original meaning, different specific applications may be afterwards appropri ated to them. Thus 44 earth-en" means made of earth, 46 earth-y," abounding with earth, 44 earth-/y" connected with the earth. In some examples we find both parts of the compound word restricted in their meaning. If ly means " like," the etymological meaning of the word " earthly" must be " similar to earth ;" yet the word is employed solely to signify 44 connected with the system of of our earth," in contradistinction to the invisible world.
Thcrc seems to be a constant tendency amidst the fluc tuations of language to coin new adjectives, by derivation from substantive nouns, for the sake of producing greater liveliness of expression. When such a word. as 44 manly" is first used for describing an individual, the hearer more readily imagines to himself a 46 man," with all his suitable qualifications for the illustration of the quality named, than when such epithets as 44 bold" or 44 firm" are employed.
Some adjectives derived from verbs contain an equally palpable allusion to the parent words as those do which are derived from nouns, and thus bring more fully into view the motions or actions which they denote. The most re markable adjectives of this sort are also called participles. They resemble other adjectives in every feature which has yet been mentioned; but many of them imply an addition al characteristic, which will come into view when we treat of the verb. The participle expresses the meaning of the verb, together with its subordination to the idea expressed by a substantive noun. The words, " pining," "thriving," 66 dazzling," are as completely adjectives in meaning and use, as 46 weak," " strong," and " bright." Sometimes it contains the addition of a particular modification of con nection. There is generally a difference betwixt the par ticiple in ans or ens and that in us in Latin, and betwixt the participle in ing and that in ed in English.