This monograph sets out (i) to establish criteria for differentiating adjectives from other word-classes for languages in which they form a distinct category, and (ii) to establish criteria for determining their (non-)identity with words from other categories for languages in which they do not. As languages show various gradations in the extent to which adjectives can be distinguished from other word-classes, the author discusses idealized language types, thereby providing a model for the analysis of natural languages. The book argues that adjectives do not uniformly show all differentiating characteristics and that these characteristics are semantically relevant and functionally motivated: for instance, when word-classes are used in functions not their own, they manifest characteristics of the categories to which the relevant functions belong. The second part of the book discusses three distinct idealized languages types without a distinct adjectival category in which “property words” remain undifferentiated from (i) nouns, (ii) verbs, and (iii) nouns as well as verbs. These three types are shwon to represent gradations of distinctions between word-classes as they occur in natural languages and to manifest various degrees of the corresponding functional neutralizations. In the final chapter the wider theoretical implications of this work for the study of categories are discussed.

Table of Contents:
1. Preface; 2. List of abbreviations; 3. 1. Introduction; 4. Part One Adjectives as a Distinct Category; 5. 2. Criteria for differentiation; 6. 2.1 Introduction; 7. 2.2 Notion of prototypicality; 8. 2.3 Need for multiple criteria; 9. 2.4 Interconnectedness among the criteria; 10. 2.5 Differentiating characteristics; 11. 2.6 Primary and secondary uses; 12. 2.7 Nature of supporting evidence; 13. 3. Differentiation from nouns; 14. 3.1 Introduction; 15. 3.2 Denoting a single property; 16. 3.3 Giving prominence to property itself; 17. 3.4 Being part of a unified entity; 18. 3.5 Inflectional differences; 19. 3.6 Denoting a distinct semantic prototype; 20. 4. Differentiation from verbs; 21. 4.1 Introduction; 22. 4.2 Claims about similarity; 23. 4.3 Difference in categorial usage; 24. 4.4 Difference in dependency status; 25. 4.5 Difference in the scope of modification; 26. 4.6 Difference in temporal status; 27. 5. Differentiation from adverbs; 28. 5.1 Introduction; 29. 5.2 Heterogeniety of adverbs; 30. 5.3 Similarities between adjectives and adverbs; 31. 5.4 Difference in categorial use; 32. 5.5 Difference in dependency status; 33. 5.6 Difference in semantic prototypes; 34. 6. Decategorization of adjectives; 35. 6.1 Introduction; 36. 6.2 Decategorization in nominal use; 37. 6.3 Decategorization in predicative use; 38. 6.4 Decategorization in adverbial use; 39. 6.5 Decategorization in compounding; 40. 7. Decategorization of other word classes; 41. 7.1 Introduction; 42. 7.2 Decategorization of nouns; 43. 7.3 Decategorization of verbs; 44. 7.4 Decategorization of adverbs; 45. Part Two Adjectives as Parts of Other Categories; 46. 8. Criteria for identification; 47. 8.1 Introduction; 48. 8.2 Separation of categoriality; 49. 8.3 Notion of lexicalization; 50. 8.4 Relevance of semantic factors; 51. 8.5 Basis for non-lexicalization; 52. 8.6 Functional explanation for variability; 53. 8.7 Need to establish idealized language types; 54. 9. Identification with nouns; 55. 9.1 Introduction; 56. 9.2 Dependency status in a noun phrase; 57. 9.3 Basic and extended uses; 58. 9.4 Semantic prototypes; 59. 9.5 Basis for gradation; 60. 10. Identification with verbs; 61. 10.1 Introduction; 62. 10.2 Occurrence in predicative position; 63. 10.3 Occurrence in adnominal position; 64. 10.4 Modification and presupposed predication; 65. 10.5 Differentiating characteristics; 66. 11. Identification with nouns and verbs; 67. 11.1 Introduction; 68. 11.2 Criteria for identification; 69. 11.3 Possibility of "norm" connections; 70. 11.4 Difference in temporal status; 71. 11.5 Difference in relationality; 72. 11.6 Derivational differences; 73. 11.7 Reference and predication; 74. 11.8 Distinction in modification; 75. 11.9 Distinction in semantic prototypes; 76. 11.10 Differentiating characteristics; 77. 12. Theoretical implications; 78. 12.1 Categoriality of adjectives; 79. 12.2 Evaluation of mixed-category claim; 80. 12.3 Evaluation of X-bar theory; 81. 12.4 Need to recognize different strategies; 82. References; 83. Index of subjects; 84. Index of names