Substantivation in Chaucer 3 



pear in Chaucer of words of French origin which seem to have 

 been used substantively for a long time. As examples Einenkel^ 

 gives the following : 



laxatyf., eqiinoxial, digestives, necessaries, niocnbles, 

 contraries, the suffrant, his pacient, this innocent, pen- 

 etentys, nobles, etc. 



II. SUBSTANTIVATION OF ADJECTIVES IN CHAUCER 



For a proper appreciation of the substantivation of adjectives 

 in Chaucer we must consider examples of all three usages, 

 namely, qualifying a preceding noun, with one, and without one, 

 as a pvu"e substantive. Then a comparison can be made with 

 reference to the relative importance of the three in Chaucer's 

 time. Also it might be of interest and profitable to compare the 

 use of positives, comparatives, and superlatives in this respect. 

 The syntactical relations of substantivized adjectives seem to 

 demand consideration. In what constructions do we find them 

 prevailing? Do they appear in any special constructions in 

 Chaucer? Finally, and of some importance it seems to me, are 

 the questions and theories relating to the beginnings of this 

 process of substantivation. Is it a native tendency or does it 

 come into the language through some foreign influence? Are 

 the adjectives so substantivized largely native words or foreign? 

 Perhaps a careful comparison of the two elements will throw a 

 little light on the subject of the origin of adjective substantiv- 

 ation. 



Einenkel makes a distinction, which might well be kept in 

 mind all through the consideration of this subject, between ad- 

 jectives previously, and hence thoroughly, substantivized, and 

 those which are substantivized merely for the occasion. For 

 instance, we think of nobles as a pure noun but the zvise as a 

 temporary substantive only. This distinction will be touched 

 upon again, however. 



^Streifsiige durch die Mittelenglische Syntax. 



253 



