-Ed Adjectives like ‘verandahed’ and ‘blue-eyed’

The problem that provides the subject of the present study has, curiously enough, received little more than a passing glance from most grammarians. Many of them mention that adjectives can be formed from substantives by means of a dental suffix, but none seem to be intrigued by the four aspects of the problem to be examined here. The fact that these aspects of the problem have received little or no attention up to now would in itself justify this study. There is, however, a further and even weightier justification. The problem brings into focus four parts of speech-verb (through the past participle), substantive, adjective and adverb–and so provides an excellent opportunity for observing the relations between these categories. Such a chance should not be missed, especially at a time when not merely the system but the very existence of the parts of speech is being called into question.