In the study of English denominal adjectives, scholarly attention has predominantly centred on those with Latinate suffixes (e.g., -
al, -
ary, and -
ic/-
ical), which are well-known as relational adjectives (RAdjs) and are extensively scrutinised in the
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In the study of English denominal adjectives, scholarly attention has predominantly centred on those with Latinate suffixes (e.g., -
al, -
ary, and -
ic/-
ical), which are well-known as relational adjectives (RAdjs) and are extensively scrutinised in the existing literature. Conversely, those with English native suffixes (e.g., -
en, -
ern, -
y, and -
ed) have not undergone thorough examination to date. In the present study, I delve specifically into denominal adjectives with the suffix -
ed (-
ed Adjs), such as
bearded,
long-tailed, and
shirt-sleeved. I present a novel basic picture of these adjectives, setting forth the following two central propositions: (i) -
ed Adjs are a type of RAdj and (ii) undergo conversion to qualitative adjectives (QAdjs) (e.g.,
bearded man vs.
bearded rock) akin to the better-known Latinate RAdjs (e.g.,
grammatical error vs.
grammatical sentence). The analysis is conducted by examining suffixal etymology (i.e., Latinate or Germanic), suffixal properties (i.e.,
all-purpose or
dedicated), and the driving factor for QAdj-forming conversion (i.e., the modal attribute
true). These propositions and analyses collectively enrich our comprehensive understanding of the semantic and morphosyntactic properties of -
ed Adjs within the realm of English morphology.
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