NOUN

Nouns have been commonly defined as “names of persons, places,

or things.”

This notional definition, however, is not a good working definition

---it cannot be used to categorically determine whether a word in
English is a noun or not.

The linguistic approach to defining the “noun” is to describe its

forms, functions, and possible positions in the basic or core
sentence.
Thus, the English “noun” can be identified by at least one of the following characteristics:

1. Occurs with a determiner before it (except: proper nouns and some common nouns)
2. Has singular and plural forms (except: noncount nouns and nouns as modifiers)
3. Has a possessive form
4. May function as:
a) Subject of the verb, e.g., Time flies.
b) Object of a transitive verb, e.g., Faith can move mountains.
c) Complement transitive verb, e.g., We call them heroes.
d) Complement of a linking verb, e.g., Destiny is not chance.
e) Object of a preposition, e.g., Demitasse is after dinner.
f) Nominative of address, e.g., Buyers, beware!
g) Appositive, e.g., Henning Brendt, the alchemist, discovered phosphorous in 1669.
Basically, nouns or noun phrases are either proper or common noun. Proper
nouns are specific names, and are capitalized. All others are common, among
which are some types, such as:

According to grammatical number

a. Collective nouns
b. Count
c. Noncount

According to reference
a. Abstract
b. Concrete
DERIVATIONS
Adjective-Noun Derivation Example
1. -age short-shortage
2. -ance, -ence brilliant-brilliance absent-absence
3. -cy normal-normalcy
4. -dom wise-wisdom
5. -ion, -tion cautious-caution perfect-perfection
6. -ism modern-modernism
7. -ist extreme-extremist
8. -ness polite-politeness
9. -ry brave-bravery
10. -th deep-depth
11. -y, -ty, -ity modest-modesty scarce-scarcity
DERIVATIONS
Verb-Noun Derivation Example
1. -age marry-marriage
2. -al approve-approval
3. -ance, ence perform-performance suffer-sufferance
4. -ation excite-excitation
5. -ience obey-obedience
6. -ion, -ation, -ition, ision deduct-deduction expel-expulsion
7. -is analyze-analysis
8. -ment excite-excitement
9. -t complain-complaint
DERIVATIONS
Verb-Noun Derivation Example
10. -art, -ard brag-braggart drink-drinker-drunkard
11. -ent study-student
12. -er, -or teach-teacher vend-vender/vendor
13. -ist copy-copyist
14. -man sell-salesman
15. Change in vowel
and consonant choose-choice
16. Zero, i.e., no change cook-cook
NOUN TRANSFORMATION
Concrete-Abstract
Concrete nouns may be transformed into abstract nouns with their respective
inflectional suffixes.
1. –hood man-manhood
2. -ship friend-ship
3. -ice coward-cowardice
NOUN TRANSFORMATION
Person-Position/Territory
From the title of a person may be derived his position or the territory he controls or
rule over.
archbishop-archbishopric, archdiocese
king-kingdom
official-officialdom
NOUN TRANSFORMATION
Nominal Agentives
Nominal agentives may also be formed from nouns to denote the practitioner in the
discipline, or user of the object. These vary in form, and have their respective noun
sets.
1. –an, -ian history-historian statistics-statistician
2. -er drum-drummer trumpet-trumpeter
3. -ist guitar-guitarist psychology-psychologist
Names Referring to Place of Origin/Citizenship
Belgium-Belgian Bangladesh-Bangladeshi Catalonia-Catalan
Laos-Lao Great Britain-Briton Finland-Finn
Macau-Macanese Cairo-Cairene Hamburg-Hamburger
Hong Kong-Hong KongerMalta-Maltese Madagascar-Madagasy
Peru-Peruvian Poland-Pole, Polish Thailand-Thai
GENDER
In English grammar, it refers to the biological sex of the noun’s reference, thus,
masculine or feminine for animate nouns (god or goddess), neuter for inanimate nouns
(universe). It affects the choice of pronoun, since pronouns have to agree in number and
gender with their noun antecedent, yet allowing for metaphorical use of the feminine or
masculine forms for personified inanimate nouns, such as she for ship, or he for tank.

The feminine form of nouns is generally constructed by adding “-ess”

baron-baroness host-hostess villain-villainess
heir-heiress count-countess prince-princess
priest-priestess lion-lioness giant-giantess
GENDER
Some get their masculine or agentive suffix “-or/-er” replaced by “-ress”
actor-actress traitor-traitress janitor-janitress
director-directress instructor-instructress conductor-conductress
songster-songstress waiter-waitress sculptor-sculptress
GENDER
Some apparent feminine derivations might not actually be used as the feminine
counterpart of the masculine form:
governor (male or female head of the province)

governess (hired female household administrator)

master vs. mistress

GENDER
Some undergo slight stem change:

duke-duchess emperor-empress

A few Latin forms are also used in English:

alumnus-alumna emeritus-emirita
GENDER
Some masculine-feminine pairs of nouns are idiomatic:

anchorman-anchorwoman groom-bride
father-mother gander-goose (goose is also generic)
gentleman-lady headmaster-headmistress
bull-cow dog-bitch
landlord-landlady king-queen
hero-heroine bartender-barmaid
leading man-leading lady warlock-witch
nephew-niece male-female
son-daughter widow-widower
salesman-saleslady uncle-aunt
GENDER
Some apparently masculine forms are being transformed into gender-neutral ones, mostly
in response to criticism about “sexism” in language.

chairman-chairperson-chair
policeman-police officer
salesman-salesperson (salesclerk is specific to the one who sells in a store)

More commonly, however, some of these masculine forms are used in the generic sense, or
a popular feminine derivation is used:
policeman-policewoman
GENDER
Certain occupations are traditionally gender-specific; thus, the titles for such have
not (as yet) developed other-gender counterparts:
sailor bellboy chef
miner messenger doorman

Other occupational titles with masculine and feminine forms have been replaced by
gender-neutral ones:
steward, stewardess-flight attendant
roomboy, chambermaid-room attendant
GENDER
The following questionable forms have appeared in some local papers and signages:

auditress (use auditor) choirmistress (use choirmaster)

bartender (use barmaid) paintress (use painter)
chancellress (use chancellor)