ADJECTIVES AS NOUNS IN THE LEZGIAN LANGUAGE (WITH COMPARATIVE DATA FROM THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE)

Abstract

The article explores the use of adjectives as nouns in Lezgian and English. In the Lezgian language, however, they can assume a greater variety of forms than is possible in English, partly as a result of the loss of inflectional endings in English; e.g. Lezgian [adj.] акьуллу – ak’ulludi, ak’ulludaz, ak’ulludan, ak’ullubur, ak’ulluburuv, etc. versus English [adj.] intellectual – an intellectual, intellectuals, any intellectual’s. Similarly, there are syntactic properties in which substantivized adjectives behave just like nouns. With regard to this phenomenon, specific language mechanisms for forming the meanings of substantivised adjectives are highlighted. The article also provides a classification of types of substantivisation in the Lezgian language. The investigation leads to a hypothetical conclusion that breaks with traditional concepts of rigid word-classes in favor of a theory of degrees of ‘adjectiviness’ and ‘nouniness’.