Das substantiv gibt den namen, das adjectiv die beschaffenheit des gegenstandes an. sicher war auch jenes bei seinem ursprung von einer eigenschaft des benannten dinges ausgegangen, deren bedeutung sich allmälich verdunkelte und in einen vielseitigeren begrif auflöste, während der einseitige sinn des adjectivs fester beharrt. aus dieser ursache können einer sprache eher fremde substantiva zugebracht werden als adjectiva, welche größere verständlichkeit fordern, eben darum veralten auch adjectiva leichter, weil sobald ihre bedeutung erbleicht, ihre anwendung stockt.
Standardized
The lexical meaning of adjectives is historically more stable than that of nouns, since it is simpler (simple property concepts vs. names for property bundles). On the other hand, adjectives become more easily obsolete than nouns and their diachronic turnover is faster than that of nouns, since when there is not much meaning in the first place its bleaching is tantamount to loss. Adjectives are more easily borrowed than nouns, since their meanings are simpler and easier to grasp.
… to also have a typological Grimm’s Law.One way of conceiving of Grimm’s Adjective-Noun Law implicationally might be as follows.When there are semantically corresponding adjectives and nouns: IF the meaning of the adjective changes, THEN that of the noun changes too;IF the noun becomes obsolete, THEN the adjective becomes obsolete too;IF the noun is borrowed, THEN the adjective is also borrowed.One would then have to compare pairs like ’round’ and ‘circle’. For which, incidentally, English would be a problem for the borrowing claim: the noun is borrowed, the adjective is inherited.
… to also have a typological Grimm’s Law.One way of conceiving of Grimm’s Adjective-Noun Law implicationally might be as follows.When there are semantically corresponding adjectives and nouns: IF the meaning of the adjective changes, THEN that of the noun changes too;IF the noun becomes obsolete, THEN the adjective becomes obsolete too;IF the noun is borrowed, THEN the adjective is also borrowed.One would then have to compare pairs like ’round’ and ‘circle’. For which, incidentally, English would be a problem for the borrowing claim: the noun is borrowed, the adjective is inherited.