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:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_ugg/src/branch/master/content/adjective.rst
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.. _adjective:
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Adjective
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=========
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Glossary
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--------
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An adjective is a part of speech which describes a noun or pronoun (or a word functioning as a noun or pronoun).
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.. csv-table::
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John 10:11
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ἐγώ,εἰμι,ὁ,ποιμὴν,ὁ,**καλός**
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egō,eimi,ho,poimēn,ho,**kalos**
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I, I am,the,shepherd,the,**good**
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*I am the* **good** *shepherd*...
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Article
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-------
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Overview
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~~~~~~~~
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Adjectives describe (or modify) a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives function (or are used) in four distinct ways;
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#. Attributive – giving information about the noun. It tells of an attribute or a quality of the word it modifies.
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#. Substantive – taking the place of a noun (or pronoun), acts like a noun
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#. Predicate Nominative – asserting something about the subject of the sentence
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#. Adverbial – used to modify (or give information) about a verb
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Often the final determination as to how an adjective is being used (or its function in the sentence) must be based on context
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after taking into account the form of the adjective.
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Adjectives may also be used as a `comparative <https://ugg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/adjective.html#comparisons>`_ .
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Form
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~~~~
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Greek adjectives must match the noun they modify in, :ref:`number<number>` , and :ref:`gender<gender>` .
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Because of this, they can take the form of all three genders:
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:ref:`masculine<gender_masculine>` , :ref:`feminine<gender_feminine>` , and :ref:`neuter<gender_neuter>` .
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If the adjective is functioning as an attributive, it will also agree with the noun it modifies in :ref:`case<case>` .
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An adjective is listed in a lexicon in its nominative, singular, masculine form.
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Adjectives will show these these various forms by using the same endings as nouns.
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See Master Table 1 and Master Table 2 :ref:`Master Tables<paradigms>` .
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(The set of suffixes used by each adjective is determined by its stem,
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just as is true with nouns. See `adjective_paradigms <https://ugg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/paradigms.html#adjectives>`_ .
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**Adjectives will decline according to the stem of the adjective, NOT THE STEM OF THE NOUN THEY ARE MODIFYING.** In other words,
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the feminine dative singular for the adjective πάς will always be πάςῃ. It will not change when modifying any other
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dative feminine noun.
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**Example:** The final vowel (α) in the feminine declension for the adjective
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πάς, πάσα, πάν ( *all, each, every *) changes to an (η) in the dative singular.
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See `Table_A7 <https://ugg.readthedocs.io/en/latest/paradigms.html#id6>`_
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The first declension noun εὐλογία does not undergo the same vowel change.
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As long as the adjective agrees with its noun in number, and gender,
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the specific form of its endings makes no difference to translation.
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.. csv-table::
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:header-rows: 1
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Ephesians 1:3
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ὁ,εὐλογήσας,ἡμᾶς,ἐν,**πάσῃ**,**εὐλογίᾳ**,**πνευματικῇ**
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ho,eulogēsas,hēmas,en,**pasē**,**eulogia**,**pneumatikē**
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who,has blessed,us,with,**every**,**blessing**,**spiritual**
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*who has blessed us with* **every spiritual blessing**
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In this example the adjectives πάςῃ and πνευματικῇ are feminine singular and agree with the noun εὐλογιᾳ in gender and number.
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They also agree in case because they are functioning as an attributive adjective (see below).
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Most first declension nouns are feminine (but some are masculine). Most second declension
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nouns are masculine (but some are feminine or neuter). Third declension nouns may be masculine, feminine, or neuter.
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The entry in the lexicon will identify the gender of each noun. However, if the definite article is present in the text,
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the definite article always agrees with the noun it is modifying in case, number and gender. The definite article (if present)
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in the text may also serve as an indicator of the gender of the noun.
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The adjective (like the article) will always take the form that represents the true gender of the noun. In the example
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below ποίμην may look like it is feminine because it ends with “ην”, but it is a third declension masculine noun. An adjective
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modifying ποίμην must therefore decline in the masculine form. In this example both ποιμήν and καλός are nominative masculine singular.
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.. csv-table::
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John 10:11
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ἐγώ,εἰμι,ὁ,**ποιμὴν**,ὁ,**καλός.**
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Egō,eimi,ho,**poimēn**,ho,**kalos.**
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I,I am,the,**shepherd**,the,**good**
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*I am the* **good shepherd.**
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Function
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~~~~~~~~
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Attributive function
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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This is the most common use of an adjective. Both :ref:`restrictive adjectives<adjective_restrictive>` and
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:ref:`ascriptive adjectives<adjective_ascriptive>` may have an *attributive* function.
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#. Restrictive adjectives follow a pattern of **noun- definite article- adjective** or (**definite article-noun-definite article-adjective**)
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#. Ascriptive adjectives follow one of four patterns:
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* **Definite article- adjective- noun** or
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* **Definite Article- noun- adjective** or
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* **noun- adjective** or
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* **adjective- noun**
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An attributive adjective may come before or after the noun it modifies. An attributive adjective will usually have
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an article. Attributive adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in case, number, and gender.
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As stated above attributive adjectives will occur in one of several patterns. One of the most common patterns is
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**noun- definite article- adjective** (which may also include a definite article in front of the noun).
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Attributive adjectives following this pattern are restrictive.
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.. csv-table::
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:header-rows: 1
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John 2:1
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Καὶ,**τῇ**,**ἡμέρᾳ**,**τῇ**,**τρίτῃ**,γάμος,ἐγένετο
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Kai,**tē**,**hēmera**,**tē**,**trite**,gamos,egeneto
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And,**on the**,**day**,**the**,**third**,wedding, there was
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*and there was a wedding on* **the third day**
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Another pattern for attributive adjectives is: **definite article – adjective- noun**.
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.. csv-table::
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:header-rows: 1
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Matthew 12:35
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ὁ,**ἀγαθὸς**,**ἄνθρωπος**,ἐκ,τοῦ,**ἀγαθοῦ**,**θησαυροῦ**
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ho,**agathos**,**anthrōpos**,ek,tou,**agathou**,**thēsaurou**
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the,**good**,**man**,out,of the,**good**,**treasure**
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*The* **good man** *from the* **good treasure..**
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Attributive adjectives may also occur with no definite article.
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The pattern for attributive adjectives without an article is generally: **noun-adjective**
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.. csv-table::
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:header-rows: 1
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1 John 2:7
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οὐκ,,**ἐντολὴν**,**καινὴν**,γράφω,ὑμῖν,ἀλλ’,,**ἐντολὴν**,**παλαιὰν**
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ouk,,**entolēn**,**kainēn**,graphō,hymin,all’,,**entolēn**,**palaian**
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not,a,**commandment**,**new**,I am writing,to you,but,an,**commandment**,**old**
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*I am not writing a* **new commandment** *to you, but an* **old commandment...**
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Note: if there is NO article, the adjective could be functioning as a predicate nominative.
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See *Predicate Function* below.
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Substantive Function
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Adjectives functioning as a Substantive are parsed as a **Noun Substantive** in the
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`Unfolding_Word_Greek_New_Testament <https://klappy.github.io/translation-helps/?owner=door43-catalog&rc=/en/ult/>`_
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Sometimes, an adjective is used, but there is no noun nearby that it agrees
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with in case, number,and gender. There is therefore no noun that
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it could be modifying. When this occurs the adjective is functioning as a noun.
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In this case, the reader understands that the writer is referring to some unnamed person or
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object in the sentence. The unnamed person or object is simply identified by the adjective.
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An adjective functioning in this way is called a **substantive** (because the substance of a noun is implied by the
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adjective). A substantive adjective will **usually** have an article immediately preceding the adjective.
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If an adjective is functioning as a **substantive** , its **case** will be
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determined by its function within the clause.
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Its **number** and **gender** will be determined by the person or thing it represents.
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.. csv-table::
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:header-rows: 1
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Romans 1:17
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καθὼς,γέγραπται,ὁ,δὲ,**δίκαιος**,,ἐκ,πίστεως,ζήσεται
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kathōs,gegraptai,ho,de,**dikaios**,,ek,pisteōs,zēsetai
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as,it has been written,the,but,**righteous**,[man/person],from,faith,he will live
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*as it has been written, "But, the* **righteous** will live by faith."
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Predicate Function
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Adjectives functioning as a Predicate are parsed as a **Noun Predicate** in the
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`Unfolding_Word_Greek_New_Testament <https://klappy.github.io/translation-helps/?owner=door43-catalog&rc=/en/ult/>`_
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If an adjective does not have an article, but the modified noun does have an article, the adjective is
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*probably* functioning as a **predicate**. Predicate adjectives are adjectives that describe nouns
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using a linking verb. Often the linking verb is not present in the Greek text and must be supplied
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when translating in English. Predicte adjectives must agree with the noun they are modifying in *gender*
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and *number*. Some languages need a verb in every sentence, so the understood verb may be added to the
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translation in order to make the sentence grammatically correct in the target language.
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Predicate adjectives **never** have the article preceding them. The absence of the article is a big clue
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that an adjective is a predicate adjective. However, a final determination must be based on context.
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If the noun has an article, and the adjective does not have an article, then the adjective is functioning as a predicate adjective.
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If there is no article before the noun or the adjective, the function of the adjective must be determined based on context.
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Predicate adjectives occur in three basic patterns.
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*The first pattern is:* **adjective-definite article-noun**
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.. csv-table::
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Matthew 5:3
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**Μακάριοι**,,οἱ,πτωχοὶ,τῷ,πνεύματι
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**makarioi**,,hoi,ptōchoi,tō,pneumati
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**Blessed**,**are**,the,poor,in the,spirit
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**Blessed are** *the poor in spirit*
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*A second pattern is:* **definite article-noun-adjective**
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.. csv-table::
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John 3:33
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ὁ,θεὸς,**ἀληθής**,ἐστιν
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ho,Theos,**alēthēs**,estin
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the,God,**true**,he is
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*God is* **true**
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**A third pattern occurs when no article is present**
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.. csv-table::
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James 1:12
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**Μακάριος**,,ἀνὴρ,ὃς,ὑπομένει,πειρασμόν
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**makarios**,,anēr,hos,hypomenei,peirasmon
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**Blessed**,is the,man,who,he endures,a trial
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**Blessed** *is the man who endures testing.*
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Adverbial Function
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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
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Some adjectives can be used as an adverb. In this case the adjective will usually be in the neuter gender and accusative (or dative) case.
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The most common adjectives used as an adverb are: βραχύ (short), ἲδιον (one's own), μίκρον (small), ὀλίγον (little),
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μόνον (alone), πολύ (many), πρῶτον (first), ὕστερον (second).
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.. csv-table::
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Matthew 6:33
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ζητεῖτε,δὲ,**πρῶτον**,τὴν,βασιλείαν
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zēteite,de,**proton**,tēn,basileian
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you seek,but,**first**,the,kingdom
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*But seek* **first** *his kingdom*
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Comparisons
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^^^^^^^^^^^
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Adjectives may be used to make a comparison between two nouns.
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• The *positive degree* of an adjective makes a simple assertion about the kind or quality of an object.
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• The *comparative degree* asserts that the person or thing described by it has this quality in a higher degree than some other person or thing.
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• The *superlative degree* asserts that the person or thing described by it has the highest degree or more of the stated quality than all the others in a group.
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**Comparative degree form**
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When an adjective is used to compare its noun to another noun, it is functioning
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as a **comparative** adjective. Comparatives are formed by adding -τερος
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(masc.), -τερα (fem.), or -τερον (neut.) to the end of the adjective.
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(Some irregular adjectives take the suffixes -(ι)ων or -ον instead.)
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**Caution:**
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• Some adjectives use the *positive form* to indicate a comparative degree.
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• Some adjectives use a *comparative form* to indicate a superlative degree.
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*Therefore the translator must be observant of the context and take the context into account when translating the text.*
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.. csv-table::
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John 13:16
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οὐκ,ἔστιν,δοῦλος,**μείζων**,τοῦ,κυρίου,αὐτοῦ
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ouk,estin,doulos,**meizōn**,tou,kyriou,autou
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not, he is,a slave,**greater**,than,master,his
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*a servant is not* **greater** *than his master*
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**Superlative degree form**
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An adjective that compares a noun to two or more other nouns is a **superlative**
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adjective. The suffixes that show the superlative form are:
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*-τατος* (masculine), *-τατη* (feminine), and *-τατον* (neuter), or
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*-ιστος* (masculine), *-ιστη* (feminine), and *-ιστον* (neuter).
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Caution:
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• Sometimes adjectives use the *comparative form* of an adjective to express a superlative quality.
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• At other times the *superlative form* may be used to simply make a comparison
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.. csv-table::
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1 Corinthians 15:9
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ἐγὼ,γάρ,εἰμι,ὁ,**ἐλάχιστος**,τῶν,ἀποστόλων
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egō,gar,eimi,ho,**elachistos**,tōn,apostolōn
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I,for,I am,the,**least**,of the,apostles
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*For I am the* **least** *of the apostles.*
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Elative
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^^^^^^^
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Both comparative and superlative adjectives may be used with an *elative* sense.
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When an adjective is used as an *elative* the quality expressed by the adjective is intensified, but no comparison is intended.
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.. csv-table::
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Mark 4:1
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καὶ,συνάγεται,πρὸς,αὐτὸν,ὄχλος,**πλεῖστος**
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kai,synagetai,pros,auton,ochlos,**pleistos**
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and,it is gathered,to,him,crowd,**very large**
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*and a* **large** *crowd gathered around him*
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.. csv-table::
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Luke 1:3
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**κράτιστε**,Θεόφιλε
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**kratiste**,Theophile
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**most excellent**,Theophilus
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**most excellent** *Theophilus*
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