THE WORD CLASSES IN THE DICTIONARY

Abstract

In grammar the stone as in stone wall is usually not classified as an adjective-only the attributive use of the noun stone, while most of the dictionaries, especially published in the U.S., labelled it an adjective. Additional examples are easy to find. It is to be wondered whether there is any substantial difference in treatment lexical and grammatical. This actual classifactory discrepancy between grammar and dictionary gives us to think if there should intrinsically exist such clear-cut difference between them. If contradicted, then the reason for it must be worth consideration. The present writer proposes that the dictionary should use the best descriptive knowledge and methods that are available, if it is the job of a dictionary to describe the language as it is. From this standpoint he tries in this article to set up the definite criteria that may be basically used to distinguish between: 1. Noun and Adjective 2. Adjective and Verb (Participle)